Sen. Bernie Sanders has started allocating campaign funds and staff to back progressive Democrats in key midterm battlegrounds, with roughly $23 million reported on hand as of July 1. His campaign is contributing to Peggy Flanagan and signaling support for Angie Nixon and Keith Ellison while hiring organizers and planning GOTV text campaigns in Michigan, Minnesota and Florida. Sanders emphasizes grassroots organizing over transfers to party committees amid a sizable late-cycle ad spending advantage held by Republican groups.
Bernie Sanders Deploys Campaign Cash and Organizers to Key Midterm Battlegrounds
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Progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has begun directing funds and staff from his campaign account to support progressive Democrats in competitive Senate and statewide races as the midterms approach.
Transfers, Targets and Figures
As of July 1, Sanders' campaign reported nearly $23 million on hand. The campaign is contributing hundreds of thousands of dollars to Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan's Senate bid and has signaled financial support for Florida Senate candidate Angie Nixon and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's reelection campaign, according to published reports.
Ground Game Over TV Ads
These are the first disbursements from Sanders' war chest in the general-election phase. Alongside direct contributions, Sanders' operation is hiring additional full-time organizers and planning get-out-the-vote text campaigns in Michigan, Minnesota and Florida. Sanders says he will prioritize grassroots organizing rather than routing campaign cash to party committees such as the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
"I am very proud that many strong progressives have won Democratic primaries. We got to defend them right now," Sanders told Politico.
Money, Messaging and Competition
Sanders has also raised more than $2.8 million for other candidates through email solicitations this cycle, including about $574,000 for Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. His move comes as Republican-aligned groups hold a late-cycle advertising advantage: committees have reserved roughly $1 billion in closing ads compared with about $730 million on the Democratic side, the Financial Times reported.
Republicans are using Sanders and his progressive agenda as a campaign theme; NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson cited Sanders as emblematic of the party’s direction. Sanders, for his part, has warned that wealthy donors and tech billionaires are preparing to spend heavily to influence control of Congress and urged supporters that "we can beat them." Recent reporting also highlights major late-election ad pushes by Trump-aligned super PACs and significant sums flowing into the midterms from wealthy donors across the political spectrum.
Reporting cited: Politico, Financial Times, Business Insider and other outlets.
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