Sanders Lends His Support To The Squad- Puts Out Fundraising Call
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont put out a fundraising call using his campaign’s email list on Sunday night, imploring supporters to split a three-way donation between members of “the Squad.”
In the email, Sanders suggested a donation of $5 each to the campaigns of progressive Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, all of whom endorsed his campaign for president which he chose to suspend last week.
“Today, I am asking you to support some extraordinary congresswomen — and important leaders of our movement — to ensure they can continue fighting for our values in Congress,” Sanders wrote.
The fourth member of “the Squad,” Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, is the only member of the squad, not facing a Republican challenger this fall, and has no challengers in the Democratic primary for the district as well. Pressley was also the only member of the group of four freshmen progressives to endorse Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the other progressive candidate for president who also ended her own bid for the Democratic nomination after a disappointing and underwhelming run in the primaries.
Tlaib has been dealing with a competitive primary challenge from Brenda Jones, the Detroit City Council president, who narrowly defeated by Tlaib in the primary for the seat in 2018. Ocasio-Cortez and Omar are also facing various primary challengers as well as multiple of Republicans hoping to secure victories in their party’s respective primaries.
“Let me be very clear: If we are serious about building a political revolution — and continuing our fight for economic justice, social justice, racial justice, and environmental justice — we need people like Alexandria, Ilhan, and Rashida representing our progressive values in Congress,” Sanders wrote.
After suspending his own campaign, Sanders has wasted no time in lending his support to not just his former endorsers but also his former rival, Joe Biden