Politics

Bernie Prepares For Democratic 2020 Loss By Filing For Senate Reelection in 2024 As An Independent

REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo

Phillip Stucky Contributor
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Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders officially filed paperwork announcing his future run for Senate in 2024, revealing an astounding backup plan should he lose his 2020 presidential bid.

Sanders is officially running as a Democrat in the 2020 presidential primary, but his filing with the FEC revealed he still intends to run as an Independent in the 2024 Senate Race.

Sanders lost the 2016 Democratic primary to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and won his reelection to the Senate during the 2018 cycle with 67.3 percent of the vote, according to Ballotpedia(RELATED: Bernie: ‘I Nearly Coughed My Brains Out’ The Few Times I Smoked Marijuana)

Sanders raised over $6 million in the first 24 hours of his candidacy in the 2020 race, and averaged less than $30 per donation, giving him a huge advantage in the ever-expanding Democratic primary field.

Under current FEC rules, candidates are allowed to transfer remaining balances into other campaign accounts, meaning it would be possible for Sanders to use funds raised during the presidential run for his Senate race.

Running for two offices at the same time was the source of controversy in the 2016 Republican primary. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio dropped his Senate race after pressure, and pledged not to run for Senate should he lose the nomination in 2016 for president. He later renewed his campaign. Both President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell encouraged him to run for Senate.

Phillip Stucky