U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders will use his campaign dollars to boost Angie Nixon’s U.S. Senate campaign in Florida.
The Vermont independent told POLITICO he will step up spending ahead of the Midterms to help candidates he endorsed for Senate as Democrats try to gain a majority in the upper chamber.
Sanders caucuses with Democrats in the chamber.
The two-time presidential candidate listed several candidates, some of whom aren’t receiving support from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee but have polled well against Republicans in the current political environment.
Sanders endorsed Nixon shortly after she won Florida’s U.S. Senate Primary against the significantly better-funded Alex Vindman, and he said he will support her candidacy along with Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota and Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan.
“I am very proud that many strong progressives have won Democratic primaries. We got to defend them right now,” Sanders said. “We got three Senate races in Michigan and Minnesota and Florida that I want to see us win, three great candidates, and they’re all taking on enormous amounts of money.”
Nixon faces U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, a Republican appointed to her seat last year. Major political prognosticators, including Sabato’s Crystal Ball and Cook Political Report, list Florida as a safe Republican seat in Senate forecasts, and most polls in the current RealClear Polling index show the incumbent in the lead. But a St. Pete Polls survey for Florida Politics this month showed Moody and Nixon tied.
“Sen. Sanders has been a huge supporter of Angie and this campaign from the beginning. He believes we can win this race in November, understands the stakes, and he and his team have made clear they’re part of Team Angie and will continue to support this campaign.” said Nixon campaign manager Eunic Epstein-Ortiz.
“We’re grateful for his support, including his willingness to invest directly in winning for the people of Florida. Sen. Sanders sees the opportunity here and is willing to help us seize it. He knows Florida is competitive, believes Angie can win, and understands this is a race worth investing in.”
Sanders also said he will support Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s re-election, and said there were congressional candidates in Wisconsin, Ohio and elsewhere he may support.
There has been growing pressure for Sanders to provide material support to candidates he endorsed. As of the end of June, Sanders reported more than $22.8 million in cash on hand in his candidate account. The 85-year-old’s seat does not come up again until 2030.
Nixon notably has talked up her philosophical alignment with Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist. Nixon joined the Democratic Socialists of America this year, and just this week said she would co-sponsor Sanders’ bill establishing a federal moratorium on new artificial intelligence data centers.