“Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is not ready to step away from the national political stage without a clear successor to his progressive throne,” Axios reports.
“Sanders’ decision to run for a fourth Senate term at the age of 82 makes clear that he doesn’t see anyone ready to pick up the mantle as the vanguard of the American left.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the 82-year-old progressive icon, announced on Monday that he will run for re-election, Axios reports.
“Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has remained coy about his future Senate plans, has stockpiled a campaign war chest nearing eight figures, giving the progressive firebrand from Vermont the resources to pursue his advocacy on liberal issues such as income disparities and shortfalls in the American health care system,” Bloomberg Government reports.
Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) is indicating to colleagues he’s preparing to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Axios reports.
A spokesman for Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) to Politico: “Governor Scott has been clear that he is not running for the U.S. Senate next year. That has not changed.”
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) will retire from the seat he’s held for 46 years and won’t run for reelection in 2022, NBC News reports.
Said Leahy: “It is time to pass the torch to the next Vermonter who will carry on this work for our great state. It’s time to come home.”
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), who is 81 years old and up for re-election next year, has called a news conference for tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. ET in Vermont.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has formally announced that he is running for reelection this fall, Seven Days reports.
“Sanders plans to seek the Democratic nomination in Vermont’s August primary. If he wins, she said, he would ‘respectfully’ decline the nomination and run as an independent in the general election. Sanders would, however, accept the endorsement of the Vermont Democratic Party.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) “has confirmed that he will run for re-election in the Senate as an independent in 2018, despite recent pressure from some Democrats to join the party,” The Hill reports.
Said Sanders: “I am an independent and I have always run in Vermont as an independent, while I caucus with the Democrats in the United States Senate. That’s what I’ve been doing for a long time and that’s what I’ll continue to do.”
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.