Sen. Bernie Sanders celebrated wins for mulitple Aug. 4 progressive primaries. (Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)
'Don't Let Anyone Fool You,' Says Sanders. Primary Wins Show Progressives 'Transforming American Politics'
Sen. Bernie Sanders maintains progressive candidates won because they campaigned "not only against Trump, but for an agenda that works for the working families of this country."
Cheering multiple primary wins this week for progressive candidates up and down state ballots, Sen. Bernie Sanders, (I-Vt.) rallied supporters Wednesday to keep up the fight to actually win the visionary demands driving those electoral victories.
"If we are serious about creating transformative change in this country -- and if we're serious about taking on the powerful special interests that want to protect the status quo -- we need to elect more great candidates at the grassroots level," Sanders said in a mid-day email to supporters.
Tuesday night's biggest upset was in Missouri, where Ferguson organizer and activist Cori Bush defeated 10-term incumbent Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) in her second bid for the seat in the state's 1st Congressional District.
After launching an unsuccessful bid for Clay's seat in 2018, Bush nabbed Sanders' endorsement for this cycle's run, as well as the continued backing of progressive organizations including Justice Democrats and Brand New Congress, both of which were founded by former staffers on Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign.
"Don't let anyone fool you," Sanders tweeted Wednesday. "The truth is, despite the opposition of powerful special interests, we are transforming American politics. The political revolution is gaining more and more support."
Missouri voters also approved a Medicaid expansion initiative, making the state the 39th in the country to enact such a measure, and the sixth to do it via citizen ballot initiative following Republican-led legislative opposition to the idea.
"If mainstream Democrats think that running on a progressive agenda in a red state is problematic, I think the popularity of the Medicaid expansion, that single issue, is significant," Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution told The Hill Wednesday.
Voters in the midwest also helped one-term incumbent progressive Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), who also had the backing of Sanders and progressive groups, to a decisive victory Tuesday in Michigan's 13th District.
In what he called "incredible victories in our movement and for a more progressive America," Sanders also tweeted in celebration of the wins of candidates vying for state-level seats in Michigan: Kim Gardner, running for St. Louis circuit attorney, and two statehouse candidates, Abraham Aiyash, running in the 4th District, and Yousef Rabhi, in the 53rd District.
To put the series of victories in the context of what comes next for the movement, Sanders will host a "Progressives on the move" virtual town hall Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. EST with Bush, Tlaib and Jamaal Bowman, the former school principal who ousted long-time incumbent Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) in New York's 16th District in June.
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This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Cheering multiple primary wins this week for progressive candidates up and down state ballots, Sen. Bernie Sanders, (I-Vt.) rallied supporters Wednesday to keep up the fight to actually win the visionary demands driving those electoral victories.
"If we are serious about creating transformative change in this country -- and if we're serious about taking on the powerful special interests that want to protect the status quo -- we need to elect more great candidates at the grassroots level," Sanders said in a mid-day email to supporters.
Tuesday night's biggest upset was in Missouri, where Ferguson organizer and activist Cori Bush defeated 10-term incumbent Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) in her second bid for the seat in the state's 1st Congressional District.
After launching an unsuccessful bid for Clay's seat in 2018, Bush nabbed Sanders' endorsement for this cycle's run, as well as the continued backing of progressive organizations including Justice Democrats and Brand New Congress, both of which were founded by former staffers on Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign.
"Don't let anyone fool you," Sanders tweeted Wednesday. "The truth is, despite the opposition of powerful special interests, we are transforming American politics. The political revolution is gaining more and more support."
Missouri voters also approved a Medicaid expansion initiative, making the state the 39th in the country to enact such a measure, and the sixth to do it via citizen ballot initiative following Republican-led legislative opposition to the idea.
"If mainstream Democrats think that running on a progressive agenda in a red state is problematic, I think the popularity of the Medicaid expansion, that single issue, is significant," Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution told The Hill Wednesday.
Voters in the midwest also helped one-term incumbent progressive Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), who also had the backing of Sanders and progressive groups, to a decisive victory Tuesday in Michigan's 13th District.
In what he called "incredible victories in our movement and for a more progressive America," Sanders also tweeted in celebration of the wins of candidates vying for state-level seats in Michigan: Kim Gardner, running for St. Louis circuit attorney, and two statehouse candidates, Abraham Aiyash, running in the 4th District, and Yousef Rabhi, in the 53rd District.
To put the series of victories in the context of what comes next for the movement, Sanders will host a "Progressives on the move" virtual town hall Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. EST with Bush, Tlaib and Jamaal Bowman, the former school principal who ousted long-time incumbent Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) in New York's 16th District in June.
Cheering multiple primary wins this week for progressive candidates up and down state ballots, Sen. Bernie Sanders, (I-Vt.) rallied supporters Wednesday to keep up the fight to actually win the visionary demands driving those electoral victories.
"If we are serious about creating transformative change in this country -- and if we're serious about taking on the powerful special interests that want to protect the status quo -- we need to elect more great candidates at the grassroots level," Sanders said in a mid-day email to supporters.
Tuesday night's biggest upset was in Missouri, where Ferguson organizer and activist Cori Bush defeated 10-term incumbent Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) in her second bid for the seat in the state's 1st Congressional District.
After launching an unsuccessful bid for Clay's seat in 2018, Bush nabbed Sanders' endorsement for this cycle's run, as well as the continued backing of progressive organizations including Justice Democrats and Brand New Congress, both of which were founded by former staffers on Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign.
"Don't let anyone fool you," Sanders tweeted Wednesday. "The truth is, despite the opposition of powerful special interests, we are transforming American politics. The political revolution is gaining more and more support."
Missouri voters also approved a Medicaid expansion initiative, making the state the 39th in the country to enact such a measure, and the sixth to do it via citizen ballot initiative following Republican-led legislative opposition to the idea.
"If mainstream Democrats think that running on a progressive agenda in a red state is problematic, I think the popularity of the Medicaid expansion, that single issue, is significant," Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution told The Hill Wednesday.
Voters in the midwest also helped one-term incumbent progressive Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), who also had the backing of Sanders and progressive groups, to a decisive victory Tuesday in Michigan's 13th District.
In what he called "incredible victories in our movement and for a more progressive America," Sanders also tweeted in celebration of the wins of candidates vying for state-level seats in Michigan: Kim Gardner, running for St. Louis circuit attorney, and two statehouse candidates, Abraham Aiyash, running in the 4th District, and Yousef Rabhi, in the 53rd District.
To put the series of victories in the context of what comes next for the movement, Sanders will host a "Progressives on the move" virtual town hall Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. EST with Bush, Tlaib and Jamaal Bowman, the former school principal who ousted long-time incumbent Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) in New York's 16th District in June.