PROGRESSIVE ISSUES AND IDEAS WILL HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON THE 2020 ELECTION CYCLE AND BEYOND
Sen. Bernie Sanders may be out of the running for president, but many of the core issues he and other progressive candidates have championed are increasingly talked about as necessities in this crisis moment and beyond. Medicare for All, paid sick leave, and various provisions around workers’ rights are all at the forefront of conversation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sanders is working with former vice president Joe Biden on six issue-based working groups in the areas of criminal justice, health care, education, climate change, the economy, and immigration.
This shift in focus emphasizes how for many, the end of the Democratic primary is another page turning in the book of organizing. Many groups are rising to the challenge of helping people not only survive, but thrive in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This shift in the nature of the way people engage in the business of American politics, including electoral operations, is a part of a longer arc of work that has been built over time and may finally be having its moment.
“I think the biggest shift I would say is that we've seen […] an abundance of new messengers who are carrying the torch on progressive issues,” said Sayu Bhojwani, founder and president of New American Leaders.
For Bhojwani, having people like Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib taking bold stances empowers others to have more open conversations about progressive issues such as Palestine, universal health care, or reducing student loan debt.
Bhojwani sees the diversification of progressive messengers of prominence on the national stage as giving people an opportunity to see themselves as potential candidates. Pointing to the work of her organization, Bhojwani said: “I think we've seen a lot more energy in immigrant communities among people who want to run.”