If, as expected, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) runs for re-election in 2018, he will face an unlikely challenger for the Democratic nomination: Jon Svitavsky, a social worker and advocate for the homeless who has never run for office before.
Svitavsky, who calls himself “a bona fide, strong, left-wing Christian liberal,” says he shares many of Sanders’ political views — if anything, he adds, “I’m more liberal than Bernie” — but he is no fan of Sanders’ conduct, calling him “a vicious politician. So many good words, but so arrogant.”
Svitavsky says he was spurred to enter the political arena by the 2016 presidential campaign. “Bernie was very much responsible for Trump’s election,” he asserts. “I was amazed that Sanders wouldn’t do all that he could, once Hillary [Clinton] got the nomination, to elect Hillary over Trump, who would destroy all the things he supposedly believes in.”
The 60-year-old Bridport resident has a history with Sanders that goes back to the senator’s days as Burlington mayor. In 1982, the then 24-year-old Svitavsky was a young social worker who helped to found Burlington’s first overnight homeless shelter — and in the process, found his own calling. “Before that, they were the faceless homeless,” he recalls. “Then they became John and Mary and Tim.
“These people could be helped,” he continues. “They didn’t need to be so disrespected that they were thought not to be capable of helping themselves.”
Svitavsky directed the Burlington Emergency Shelter, which refused entry to anyone drunk or on drugs, and required them to seek help or find work. By his account, his shelter ran into opposition from then-Burlington mayor Sanders, who was — again, by Svitavsky’s account — opposed to the Emergency Shelter’s stance against drugs and alcohol. The Sanders’ administration eventually set up a shelter called the Waystation, which placed no conditions on entry and resulted, according to Svitavsky, in an abrupt increase in the city’s homeless population.
“I became very disillusioned with Sanders,” Svitavsky says.
He later went on to help establish shelters in Barre-Montpelier, St. Albans and Brattleboro, as well as one in Maine. An effort in Bennington fell afoul of town officials. In 2015 he began working on a new shelter in South Burlington, but plans were shelved when a fundraising drive fell short.
“I’m renewing my efforts there, and I believe I will be successful this time,” he says. “I’m going to do that concurrently while running. Probably the first person to be opening a homeless shelter while they run for U.S. Senate.”
Svitavsky admires Sanders for “standing for the little person, and not being afraid to stand against power and money. Wonderful, wonderful rhetoric, but he’s sponsored and passed three bills in his time in Congress, and two of them were renaming post offices.”
The first-time candidate knows full well he’s likely up against the man who won 86 percent of the vote in Vermont’s 2016 presidential primary, and remains incredibly popular with the state’s voters.
“I’m not intimidated,” he says. “He’s the Goliath and call me David, and I’m just collecting stones.”
When asked for comment, Sanders’ Senate office responded with a one-sentence statement: “The Senate office does not deal with campaign-related inquiries.”
This article appears in The Cartoon Issue • 2017.
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Senator F-35 Fighter Jet deserves some competition. Bernie does a great job of talking the talk but when it’s time to walk the walk, he has repeatedly made clear he prefers profits for Texas Lockheed-Martin executives, at the expense of health and home values for over 12,000 plus Vermont constituents in South Burlington, Winooski, Williston and Burlington. What good is Bernie’s endless rhetoric if, when he actually has the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the 99% that he supposedly cares about, he instead sides with budget-busting military Keynesianism? Predictably leaving little left over for the domestic and social welfare programs Bernie loves to talk about. How is this different from any other politician in Washington? No wonder Bernie immediately changed the subject & dodged the question when VPR’s Jane Lindholm asked him why he would not meet with anyone negatively impacted by the F-35 basing.
Knowyourass… once again you can only focus on Trump even when he is not part of the story. I’m beginning to think you love him more than I do. But please give me one example of a Trump lie with proof to back up your accusation. And no a lie told by CNN does not count as proof. They are fake news. #timetovotethebaldguysout. Go Svitavsky
sanders deserves a challenger because he does not represent vermonters. all he wants is to make money on his book deal. his wife has been defrauding vermonters for years with her burlington college scheme.
The myth of Sanders popularity is going to be put to the test by strong Democrats that care about people, not just defrauding people of another million dollars.
Career politician Bernie, whose voted against the Nation’s Amber Law protecting children.
To recent lone votes to protect Russia from sanctions, are totally indefensible votes, and do not represent liberal Democrats, nor do they represent the views of Vermonters.
Sandes is the most popular politician in the the country. Go ahead and try and lose like you Neoliberals have since Obama won. Losers!!! Bahaha!
@ Citizen,
Yes, Bernie is an arrogant, hypocritical liar.
So when are you going to express your outrage over the Liar Trump? He lies every single day. “Believe me.” “My lies are the best lies.” “Many people are saying that my lies are the best lies. So many people are saying that.” “Believe me.”
Do we really need another old, white man in the Senate? I don’t think so. I love Bernie, but whoever follows him needs to be young and offer something new to Vermonters!
Sounds like a nice guy. Has no chance in hell.
I’m very happy that someone is going to take on the Liar Sanders. I would suggest that Mr. Svitavsky focus on beating the Liar Sanders and put his shelter on the back burner for a short time. After all he will be running against a well oiled political machine. But the Liar Sanders is in the perfect position to be voted out. With a little luck the Liar Sanders will be in jail by the time the election rolls around for fraud and Mr. Svitavsky will only have to run against who ever the republicans put in the race. Good luck Mr. Svitavsky you will have my support in the primary. Anything to get rid of the Liar Sanders. #timetovotethebaldguysout. Bye Bye Bernie.
It would be nice to see Bernie face a competitive election in Vermont for the first time since 1994.
Maybe we can get some answers as to why Bernie ordered his property records redacted from the Burlington property database.