Sen. Bernie Sanders thanked progressives Friday afternoon for aiding Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential efforts – even with the race still too close to call.
“I want to thank progressive grassroots organizations for their extraordinary efforts in helping to make Biden's victory possible,” the independent senator from Vermont tweeted. “Together, you built widespread support for Biden among young people, people of color and the working class. Congratulations. Let's keep going forward.”
In a subsequent tweet, Sanders also praised young voters for “leading the fight for economic, social, racial and environmental justice.”
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“And they made all the difference in this election by voting in huge numbers,” he wrote. “Yes. When we stand together we can create a nation based on justice, not greed and bigotry.”
Still, Democratic hopes for a landslide Biden victory and blue wave in House and Senate races failed to materialize – possibly in part because of messaging from the party’s progressive wing.
Sanders’ tweet came a day after moderate Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., tore into fellow House Democrats on a conference call over leftist demands to “defund police” and for their support of “socialism.”
“We lost races we shouldn’t have lost,” she said, according to sources on the call and later backed up by leaked audio. “Defund the police almost cost me my race because of an attack ad. Don’t say socialism ever again. We need to get back to basics.”
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In Florida in particular, far-left positions may have hurt both Biden and Democratic House races.
Hispanic voters, particularly Cuban Americans and Venezuelan Americans turned off by oppressive socialist governments, showed far less support for Biden than in the rest of the country.
And two Democratic incumbents, Reps. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and Donna Shalala, lost their House races to Republican challengers.
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A number of GOP senators believed to have been vulnerable going into Election Day also held on to their seats. Now, control of the Senate may hinge on a pair of runoff elections in Georgia – and without it, a potential Biden administration would have trouble implementing the so-called progressive mandate that some on the left were hoping for.
For his part, Biden has campaigned on a promise to try to unify the country.
“Let me be clear: I campaigned as a proud Democrat, but I will govern as an American president,” he tweeted Thursday.
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