Update: Sanders’ campaign reported Wednesday morning that they were able to raise nearly $6 million from 225,000 individual donors in all 50 states in just the 24 hours following Bernie’s announcement.
Senator Bernie Sanders, the progressive favorite during the 2016 election cycle, has officially announced that he will run for president again in 2020.
The Vermont Senator publicly announced his candidacy for president during an interview with Vermont Public Radio that aired Tuesday morning. In his announcement video above, Sanders states, “I’m asking you today to be part of an unprecedented grassroots campaign of one million active volunteers in every state in our country. Our campaign is not only about defeating Donald Trump, the most dangerous president in modern American history, but it is also not only about winning the nomination and the general election, our campaign is about transforming our country and creating a government based on the principles of economic, social, racial, and environmental justice. Our campaign is about taking on the powerful special interests that dominate our economic and political life.”
“I wanted to let the people of the state of Vermont know about this first,” Sanders said during his interview with VPR‘s Bob Kinzel. “And what I promise to do is, as I go around the country, is to take the values that all of us in Vermont are proud of – a belief in justice, in community, in grassroots politics, in town meetings – that’s what I’m going to carry all over this country.”
Sanders policy agenda during the last presidential election cycle has helped push the Democratic party farther left. His policy platform ideas on Medicare for All, a $15 minimum wage, and tuition-free public colleges are bigger talking points in political campaigns since his primary run in 2016. Sanders plans to continue to fight for these issues during this campaign cycle, along with bold climate reforms, criminal justice and immigration reform, and inequality.
“Bernie is the only candidate for the Democratic nomination who has always been part of progressive movements,” Solomon told Common Dreams. “For decades he has made it clear he understands that the transformational power we need isn’t handed down from on high—it’s gained through grassroots activism and organizing to challenge injustice and the vast numbers of ills related to corporate power.”
As Sanders states in his first official campaign video, posted on Twitter, “If we are prepared to stand together, there is no limit to what the great people of our nation can accomplish.”
I'm running for president. I am asking you to join me today as part of an unprecedented and historic grassroots campaign that will begin with at least 1 million people from across the country. Say you're in: https://t.co/KOTx0WZqRf pic.twitter.com/T1TLH0rm26
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 19, 2019
After his announcement, Sanders’ campaign raised more than $1 million in just three hours. An announcement made via Twitter stated that as of 11:00 AM Eastern time, Sanders had raised $1.2 million from approximately 42,000 individual donors in all fifty states.
Yes, you read that correctly.
$1,000,000 since 7AM Eastern time today. https://t.co/9JGc7hnTMe
— Josh Orton (@joshorton) February 19, 2019
Last time Sanders ran he surprised mainstream political pundits with his ability to raise huge amounts from nearly all small-dollar donors.” It seems this time around the Sanders campaign will be able to continue to rely on campaign revenue from people rather than from corporations or other special interest groups.
Sanders joins a growing number of popular Democratic candidates for the 2020 election, including Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Tulsi Gabbard, Julian Castro, John Delaney, Kamala Harris, and Amy Klobuchar.
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