2018 Senate Race

Question re Bernie Sanders, 2018 Senate race

Joy-Ann Reid

05/29/16 at 8:23 PM

To haikbedrosian@yahoo.com

Message body

Hi there,

I interviewed a gentleman named Al Giordano today, who is threatening to mount a campaign against Bernie Sanders for Senate in 2018. Wondering if you are familiar with him, if you think he could have a shot, and whether the Democratic Party in Vermont, and in Burlington, would ever side with a challenger against Sanders.

Would love to chat with you if you have some time.

Thanks,

Joy-Ann Reid

MSNBC (and The Daily Beast)

Re: Question re Bernie Sanders, 2018 Senate race

Haik Bedrosian

05/30/16 at 4:02 AM

To Joy-Ann Reid

Message body

Hi Joy. Thanks for writing. I had never heard of Mr. Giordano before right now so I looked at his Twitter page and website and whatever he stands for is not readily apparent. That doesn't bode well for him, although it's highly doubtful it would make much difference. Assuming Bernie doesn't win the Democratic nomination and presidency it's hard to imagine him losing his senate seat to anyone, ever. Vermont rarely fails to re-elect its incumbents. Pat Leahy, for example, has been in the senate over 40 years and he is not more popular than Sanders. To the best of my understanding, since Bernie was elected to Congress in 1990 he has always won the Democratic endorsement and then declined it in favor of running as an Independent. Could someone else get the Democratic endorsement? Perhaps if it were purely up to Howard Dean, but it's very hard to imagine it happening if regular people get to vote on it. In general Vermonters are quite happy with our congressional representation, and with Bernie in particular. There is almost no one who hasn't either received constituent services from Bernie, or known someone close to them who has. I work on the phone as a food stamp worker and until about a year ago when Bernie got busy, I could expect clients warning daily that they would complain to senator Sanders's office when they had problems with our system. Nobody warned they would run to Pat Leahy. The question in my mind is whether Bernie would seek re-election as a Democrat, or go back to what he's always done and run as an Independent. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say it still sounds weird for Bernie Sanders to be referred to as a Democrat. Nonetheless he is still in a much better position to take on Trump than HRC whom the party has already rejected once and whom the nation may well reject too, I'm afraid. This Al Giordano fellow will almost certainly be forgotten. Bernard Sanders hasn't lost an election in Vermont since 1988 and it's hard to see why he ever would. Regards, Haik

Sent from my iPhone

Re: Question re Bernie Sanders, 2018 Senate race

Joy-Ann Reid

05/30/16 at 2:09 PM

To Haik Bedrosian

Message body

Thanks for the info, Haik! Have a great Memorial Day.

Joy