U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) reelection campaign raised more than $925,000 in fewer than six weeks, according to his latest filing with the Federal Election Commission. Sanders, who easily won a third Senate term in November and is contemplating a second presidential run in 2020, reported spending nearly $730,000 during the same period, from October 18 to November 26.
That leaves him with nearly $8.8 million, which could be transferred to a campaign for president, should he decide to run.
Sanders’ expenses are consistent with those of a probable presidential candidate. They include about $113,000 on events; nearly $92,000 on salaries to 31 individuals; more than $64,000 on travel by car and plane; more than $60,000 on research, including $52,000 to the polling company Tulchin Research; and more than $37,000 on lodging.
His travel expenses also included a $6,800 payment to the private charter plane company Apollo Jets, as well as $5,000 in carbon offsets to NativeEnergy to compensate for his air travel. According to a previous FEC filing, Sanders spent nearly $300,000 on chartered planes earlier in the campaign season, as VTDigger.org reported last week.
On Monday, Sanders supporters formally launched a federal political action committee called Organizing for Bernie. Cofounder Rich Pelletier, who served as Sanders’ deputy presidential campaign manager in 2016, told Rolling Stone that the group has two goals: “One, we want to show the support is there. The second is to begin to do the organizing that is going to need to happen for him to hit the ground running, by the time he announces — if he announces.”
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who wasn’t up for reelection, reported $43,200 in contributions. Unlike Sanders, who received 98 percent of his contributions from individuals, Leahy received the majority of his — 64 percent — from PACs. He spent nearly $19,000, leaving him with about $75,500 cash on hand.
Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.), who handily beat Republican Anya Tynio on November 6, received $52,000 in contributions, 80 percent of which came from PACs. He spent $22,800, leaving him with more than $2.1 million.
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I just bought a house in another state, can’t wait to leave this left-wing-socialist-progressive-fascist place called Vermont. No longer will I have to yell, “NO, I don’t feel the Bern.” And for the record, I never have. What a charlatan he is. Wake up suckers.
Well Lucas , I like Bernie much more than you do but still a clever comment . I was thinking that if you changed a few nouns and adjectives , changed leftist sheep to right wing mouthbreathers , you’d have Trump and his supporters .
Do it Bernie. If we could send everybody to Germany to see how healthcare is done — in a very diverse country like ours — then Republicans and industry spokesmen[hacks] wouldn’t be able to get away with lying to people about doctor waits and stuff that really only happens here in the privatized system. I had healthcare in Germany and I could walk in anytime to any doctor and get seen usually within an hour or so. Could get all kinds of good chiropractic work and non-traditional medicine as well. Ignorance aint bliss, but I guess it must be nice to imagine that we have the best healthcare system in the world.
Love it, Go Bernie!