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.
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!
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.
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.
Sounds like a nice guy. Has no chance in hell.
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!
@ 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.”
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
Lie: Obama wiretapped me. Truth: He didn’t. It’s been 4 months since The Liar made that accusation and he hasn’t come forward with one shred of evidence. No one has.
Lie: I fired Comey because the FBI was in disarray. Truth: “I fired Comey because of the Russia thing.”
Lie: Our intelligence agencies don’t agree that Russia meddled in the election. Nobody really knows what happened. Truth: The 4 agencies who’ve investigated all agree there was meddling, including agencies working under Trump appointees.
Lie: Podesta won’t turn over the DNC server to the FBI and CIA. Truth: Posesta doesn’t have the DNC server and the CIA isn’t investigating.
The guys lies every day.
“Citizen” wants one example of Trump lies. Here are hundreds: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/23/opi… AND http://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/t…
I was sure I had read this article before ! Two years ago 7Days wrote an article about a hopeless old leftie Peter Diamondstone . (July 29 2015) Are you sure these two ,Jon and Peter (both disciples ) aren’t brothers ? They are both true believers as opposed to that rotten sell out Bernie . I guess this is a perfect illustration of what it is to be a minor footnote of history .
I criticized Svitavsky’s anti-single payer doublespeak and negative campaigning, on his FB page. His response was to ban me. If you criticize Senator Sanders on his page, nobody is there to delete it. Not impressed, to say the very least, by Svitavsky’s stifling of sensible Senatorial discourse.
This man is no advocate for the homeless, he is an advocate for his own agenda,an impoverished version of christian charity. This man is no comparison to Bernie’s unwavering advocacy for the marginalized. Seven Days, you do your readers a disservice.
Wow I know this is BS but here is a report from a Vermonter who has been volunteering in shelters for the last 30 years with a totally different story. Walters is not the advocate that he wants everyone to think he is. Bernie will win but what will the neoliberal corporatists Dems throw at him next. https://www.facebook.com/rita.markley/posts/10214194194195057
Jon Svitavsky seems to be an honest soul who is disgusted with the Sanders double-speak. Jon has been in the trenches doing the Lord’s work attempting to rescue souls from economic and social misfortune. On the other hand, Bernie is renowned for spouting concern for the down trodden while lining his pockets at the public trough.
Good luck to Mr. Svitavsky, he will need it as Bernie’s minions blindly follow him to the voting booth and sadly, reelect the U.S. Senator whose only measurable accomplishment has been naming a couple post offices! Bernie need to bee challenged and forced to defend his right to keep his Senate seat.
What a crap piece of reporting! This jackass turned away the needy on the worst nights b/c they didn’t meet HIS so called qualifications. He’s a self centered, righteous jackass. Fortunately, Vermonters will see that and reject his candidacy. Shame on 7 Days and the author for ignoring the full story – trying doing your homework before printing this crap. You just flunked journalism 101 – perhaps writing for Breitbart would be more your speed. #smh
I am disappointed by the apparent lack of fact checking for this piece. Anyone with any knowledge of the nonprofit or social service sectors in Burlington over the past 30 years should know that the Waystation is the overnight shelter run by independent local nonprofit COTS, which was established in the early 80s by a group of community volunteers and leaders from the faith community.
Leslie, you were banned for repeatedly being asked asked a question, and your deflection, vulgarity and refusal to acknowledge the answers you were given. You lied there, do you have to lie here as a well?
Doc, his “so called” qualifications are just that. Qualifications. People don’t need to be drunk or stoned around families with children. Baby, you never took Journalism 101, 01, or 00. Just sit down.
You’re not a Dr. either.
“Leslie, you were banned for repeatedly being asked asked a question, and your deflection, vulgarity and refusal to acknowledge the answers you were given. You lied there, do you have to lie here as a well?”
You may be able to assassinate my character, but you cannot ban me here. I had no such conversation, and I instead called out Svitavsky’s doublespeak on single payer. Was Jon against it, before he was for it? If asking someone to run a positive campaign is vulgarity, then we have truly reached the point of no return in our society.
There was no conversation, no question, no response – just a banning for being a “Bernie Bot.” Well, excuse me, Bernie Sanders has treated me a lot better than no-name Jon Svitavsky. You can pat yourself on the back, if you get 5 percent in the polls. Vermont sees through your ego trip, no-qualification candidacy.
Never trust a politician, especially a Leftist. Bernie identifies as an Independent, but he is a Communist.
Isn’t it called a primary election??? Why was it wrong for bernie to run??? Now another way out leftist is just what the dims need. We’re going to have a national voter ID law soon. When that happens few dims will win re-election.
I am not the other guy will not win an election
Get used to it, snowflake. As Sanders is, so are most politicians and all Democrats, caring only about their own reelection. Anything else they say is for public consumption only.
They both suck. What is in the water in Vermont? Perhaps one of the Trumps can purchase property in Vermont and run against Burned Out Bernie.
they are both losers
Someone please ask Bernie how a socialist can afford to have THREE houses?
Svitavsky, who calls himself “a bona fide, strong, left-wing Christian liberal,”
No such thing.
Bernie BENT THE KNEE for the witch, Hillary – Killary. This man is a traitor to THE PEOPLE. And where are the unions, blue dogs and scoop jackson democrats today? Far away from these open borders job killing nutcases. You want an opposition party to work, stop loving on Islam and stop with the open borders and tone down the gun control garbage. Problem solved. Right now this Hillary stuff is just trash for the american worker. Even Cesar Chavez of California wanted to close the borders to protect workers and their rights. Liberals arent even liberal anymore, they are police state morons more bent on identity politics and PC rather than defending our jobs and the rights of workers. And liberals “love” Bezos, he is the CRUELEST most awful monopoly boss EVER but he loves these “liberal” democrats of Tammany hall?
I wonder who the Republicans are putting up to run in this race? Seems like a split vote could make things interesting.
It’s painfully obvious Bernie only cares about one thing – enriching Bernie and his crooked wife. Bernie “caviar socialist” Sanders should retire to his three homes and $150,000 Audi sports car.
What a raging hypocrite.
Just what the country needs, another fanatic.
Like watching a death match beween a Muslim Shia vs Muslim Sunni. Just glad there will be a loser.
He needs to sit back and enjoy his $600,000 lake house and stop worrying about the little people. He’s done enough already.
We do not need another old white man to run! He nor Sanders represents us in the great state of Vermont! What we need is a gay African-American communist transsexual to run!
I hope Svitavenzintiazinsky is at least transgender and has African-American and Indonesian blood in him so that he properly represents the people of Vermont. If he is an ultra-Marxist that will be a plus!
yeah Vermont! replace crazy bernie with crazy jon! meanwhile the rest of the country wonders just how many varieties of nuts and fruits there are in VT.
So, you’re saying that Bernie WASN’T a ‘straw-man’??
Come on guys. Bernie, Linc and that empty suit from Maryland were only there so it wouldn’t look like Hillary wasn’t running unopposed. Bernie on the other hand, refused to play the game.
My friend Gary travels around the country reviewing homeless shelters.(Check him out at HighClassHobo.com) He was more than a little disappointed in the Burlington shelter. I won’t go into the dirty details but Gary stated that the vegetable soup was underseasoned, the linens were mismatched and scratchy (under 300 threadcount!), the toilet paper was single ply and that the magazine selection was appalling. Jon Svitavskys shelter got only one bindle out of a possible five. This man clearly does not have what it takes to succeed in the free hotel industry. I say put this this failed hotelier in the Senate where he can do no harm and leave the sheltering to people who know a little something about the finer points of hospitality. Silk drapes, finger bowls and a baby grand in the lobby would be a welcome first step.
Apparently, Vermonters can’t afford a comb
“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.”
Wondering why? Check out the new lakeside house he paid cash for when he endorsed the harridan.
Oh, and as to those “things he supposedly believes in,” Comrade? Remember: Socialism is for the people, NOT the Socialists. I just hope the FBI gets to the truth on him and his thieving wife.
What a dumba**!
HIllary and the DNC screwed Bernie all to hell and this guy wanted Bernie to help Hillary after all of that?! No wonder he works with the homeless — he’s just one brain cell above homeless because he has a job. That job is working with the homless.
Is there some kind of stupid in the water up there in New England?!
Everyone know Sanders was in the tank from the beginning. If he had wanted to win the nomination all he had to do was come out a little strong on the Clinton corruption.
He didn’t because his job was to be more liberal, crazy, and decrepit than Hillary.
Vermont has been infested by vapid utopians to the point where most normal Americans think it would be best for these lunatics to begin the secession process.
Once again judging by the post here it is looking like the people are waking up to the bullshit the dems and Liar Bernie have been putting out for years. America will be great again soon.
Another hippie. Probably not even remotely possible but if he Did win, he would be able to afford bespoke suits just like Bernie’s.
He’s MORE liberal than Bernie?
“left-wing Christian liberal”….CHRISTIAN?
“Svitavsky directed the Burlington Emergency Shelter, which refused entry to anyone drunk or on drugs, and required them to seek help or find work”….NO ALCOHOL OR DRUGS? WORK?
I’ve got news for you Svitavsky, YOU AIN’T NO LIBERAL!