Sanders Best Positioned to Win '06 Senate Race

With the announcement this morning that U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT) is retiring, a hugely-important open seat Senate race will now take place in Vermont in 2006. Though I worked for Vermont Rep. Bernie Sanders a few years ago, and though he's indicated in the past he would be interested in running for the seat, he has yet to announce. That said, he is clearly the best positioned to keep this seat in the hands of the Democrats - and that means people should go to www.bernie.org and urge him to run:

POLL: SANDERS THE MOST POPULAR POLITICIAN IN VERMONT: On May 5, 2004, WCAX Vermont reported "58-percent of those surveyed have a favorable opinion of Sanders, making him the most popular politician in the state." [Source: WCAX TV, 5/5/04]

IN 2004, SANDERS RECEIVED MORE THAN 200,000 VOTES: In the 2004 election, Sanders trounced his Republican opponent with 68 percent of the vote – or 201,000 votes. That was more than any Republican running in Vermont, including Gov. Jim Douglas. [Source: CBS News election results]

SANDERS STRONG AMONG SWING VOTERS: In the 2004 exit polls, Sanders posted strong numbers among key swing voters in Vermont. He won 51 percent of those who identify themselves as political independents, and 62 percent of rural voters outside of Burlington, where Sanders lives. [Source: CBS News 2004 exit polls]

SANDERS HAS STRONG RECORD DEFEATING ALL KINDS OF REPUBLICANS: Sanders has a long record of trouncing all types of Republicans at the polls. In 2004, he won 68 percent of the vote against well-funded archconservative Greg Parke, a former military pilot who raised more than a half million dollars. In 2002, he defeated moderate Republican Bill Meub with 65 percent of the vote. As the Burlington Free Press noted, the Republicans have worked hard to defeat him for years, but "in the end, no candidate in this election or in the recent past has come close to toppling Sanders." [Source: CNN election results, 2002 & 2004; Burlington Free Press, 10/28/04]

SANDERS WON HANDILY EVEN WHEN NATIONAL GOP TARGETED HIM: In 1996, the national GOP targeted Sanders for defeat, using its national fundraising apparatus to finance a serious challenger. Even then, he won a strong 55 percent of the vote. [Vermont election results, 1996]

DESPITE REFUSING CORPORATE PAC MONEY, SANDERS IS A STRONG FUNDRAISER: Sanders currently has more than $600,000 in the bank – putting him in a strong fundraising position for the 2006 race. Despite his refusal to take corporate PAC money, Sanders has used a strong in-state and national grassroots fundraising base to raise almost $6 million for his campaigns since being elected to Congress. [Source: Center for Responsive Politics]

SANDERS GETS WIDE PRAISE FROM MEDIA: In its 2004 endorsement of Sanders, the Burlington Free Press noted, "You can agree with Sanders or you can disagree...what can't be dismissed is his passion and energy, his command of the issues and his connection to the grass roots." To most of Vermont, Sanders "is just 'Bernie,' as recognizable in the Northeast Kingdom as he is in Burlington and Brattleboro. Even those who oppose Sanders' message tend to respect his integrity and honest hard work...After more than 30 years in politics, Sanders remains remarkably committed to the fight." Similarly, the Eagle Times wrote in its endorsement, "It is very clear where [Sanders] stands. If you do not know his views, Sanders will gladly explain his positions until the sun goes down. His seemingly limitless energies have been focused on issues such as spending for veterans, a voice in the wilderness on an issue the federal government has largely ignored for years. Bernie will stop at nothing to do what he feels is right for his people, the definition of a true representative." The Brattleboro Reformer wrote on 10/27/04, "Even his enemies in Vermont respect Sanders for the level of constituent service he has provided...In Sanders' 14 years in the House, he has proven that he can build coalitions and get things done." [Source: Burlington Free Press, 10/28/04; Eagle Times, 10/20/04; Brattleboro Reformer, 10/27/04]

SANDERS HAS RECEIVED NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR HIS EFFORTS: Over his career, Sanders has been credited with bringing national attention to critical middle class issues. In 2001, for instance, the New York Times ran a profile of Sanders called "Independent No Longer Alone in Fight Over Drug Costs" about his leadership as the first lawmaker to take seniors on prescription drug bus trips to Canada. "There are few more persistent irritants [to the drug industry] than Representative Bernard Sanders," wrote the Times. "These days, of course, nearly everyone says he wants to do something to help the elderly with drug costs, but Mr. Sanders stands out." Similarly, the Washington Post credited Sanders with blocking the Bush administration's efforts to slash thousands of workers' pensions. "The Bush administration proposed regulations that would have deemed cash-balance plans not to be age-discriminatory," wrote the Post on 12/9/2004. "But critics on Capitol Hill, led by Rep. Bernard Sanders have blocked those rules." [Source: NY Times, 4/10/00; Washington Post, 12/9/2004]