| October 4, 2019 |
| Bernie’s heart surgery puts campaign in limbo, Sanders hauls in $25 million in the third quarter, and a number of the Vermont senator’s big money donors from 2016 are now backing Warren. |
Bernie undergoes heart surgery, puts campaign on hold
- Sanders underwent a medical evaluation at a Las Vegas hospital after experiencing “chest discomfort” during a campaign event Tuesday evening.
- He was found to have a blockage in an artery and underwent surgery. Two stents — small tubes that allow blood to flow normally to and from the heart — were successfully inserted.
- “We are canceling his events and appearances until further notice, and we will continue to provide appropriate updates,” longtime aide Jeff Weaver said in a statement.
- Dr. Harold Dauerman, the director of interventional cardiology at UVM Medical Center said that based on the information released by the campaign, Sanders’ condition should not be a cause of alarm for voters or constituents.
- On Thursday the campaign said Sanders would be returning to Burlington in the coming days and is expected to be ready for the Oct. 15 debate in Ohio.
Sanders racks up $25 million in donations in third quarter
- The campaign announced it had raised $25.3 million since July, the largest quarterly fundraising haul of any Democratic candidate in 2019.
- Sanders’ third-quarter result marks a substantial increase from his fundraising total this spring when he brought in $18 million.
- Since February, the Vermont senator has raised $61.5 million from 3.3 million individual donations.
- The average contribution was $19.
- In the third quarter, Sen. Elizabeth Warren raised $24.6 million, Buttigieg brought in $19.1 million, former Vice President Joe Biden got $15.2 million in contributions, Sen. Kamala Harris reported $11.6 million, Andrew Yang raised $10 million and Sen. Cory Booker received $6 million.
Big money donors from 2016 switching allegiances
- Nearly 200 of Sanders’ financial contributors who gave him $1,000 or more in 2016 have flocked to Warren this time around.
- This includes a family who has given to every Sanders campaign since 1992 and a donor who contributed more than $40,000 to his 2016 POTUS bid.
- “I feel that Sen. Sanders’ time has kind of passed and it’s time for someone, at least a little younger than him, to take over, said Thomas McDougal.
- McDougal gave Sanders $2,700 in 2016 but has abandoned the Vermont senator in 2019, instead giving money to Warren’s presidential bid.
- The Sanders campaign said these financial contributors “represent a minuscule portion of our overall donor base.”
OTHER NEWS
| Just before his cardiac incident, Sanders told supporters at a “Muslims for Bernie” event he would support whomever the Democratic nominee is and “do everything that we can” to defeat Donald Trump. The senator outlined a plan Monday he says will rein in income inequality by raising taxes on corporations with large pay gaps between CEOs and employees. Sanders’ campaign could be in trouble, Politico reports, pointing to his slide in the polls and a recent staff shake up in New Hampshire and Iowa. Jeff Weaver, a longtime Sanders aide, told the Wall Street Journal the campaign’s strategy includes doing battle in areas that have been long considered Red states: “We are no longer going to concede a large number of states to the Republicans.” Twenty-nine percent of African American voters, between the ages of 18-49, are “enthusiastic” about Sanders. The Vermont senator has long been criticized for failing to connect with voters of color. With Sanders in the hospital, Warren’s national campaign sent dinner to all his staffers in the D.C. headquarters. Taking a leaf out of their boss’s book, campaign workers started with the cookies. Sanders is famous for his sweet tooth and his love of chocolate chip cookies. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., dined with the Vermont senator in Burlington over the weekend.A rundown on the feasibility of Sanders’ Wall Street tax to bail Americans out of college debt. |
THE REST OF THE FIELD
| In a leaked audio clip, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said that if Warren is elected president, he would fight her antitrust plan in the courts. The Democratic National Committee announced Wednesday that 12 candidates have qualified for the Oct. 15 debate. The unlikely continues as Andrew Yang beat out a number of establishment Democrats with his third-quarter fundraising. Harris shakes up her floundering campaign, as aides criticize her for micromanaging. |
IN THE POLLS
CNN poll of the Nevada primary (published September 29.)
1. Joe Biden 22%
2. Bernie Sanders 22%
3. Elizabeth Warren 18%
4. Kamala Harris 5%
5. Pete Buttigieg 4%
A look ahead
| TBD as Sanders convalesces in Burlington. State campaign operations are still underway in the early primary states. |
Bernie gets personal with Cosmopolitan
Speaking with Cosmopolitan, Sanders revealed his favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor: “Cherry Garcia. I just had it last night.”
He also shared some skincare secrets.
Q: Do you moisturize?
“I put something on, I got something…the doctor gave me something years ago. I put it on, I’m not quite sure,” Sanders said.
