Progressive superstars like Beto O’Rourke, Andrew Gillum, and Stacey Abrams all either lost or are trailing extremely close races in Texas, Georgia, and Florida. But Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders insists Democrats’ takeover of the House of Representatives and other key wins are a vindication of the progressive posture he’s long advocated for.
“Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum ran brilliant campaigns. Created enormous excitement at the grassroots level, and were running in states that are tough states for Democrats,” Sanders told NPR. (Abrams has not conceded in the Georgia gubernatorial race, Gillum initially conceded his race for governor late Tuesday night but his campaign is now suggesting they may await a possible Florida recount.)
In an earlier interview with the Daily Beast, Sanders appeared to have placed part of the blame for Gillum and Abrams’ apparent losses on the fact that neither state had ever elected an African-American governor. “You know there are a lot of white folks out there who are not necessarily racist who felt uncomfortable for the first time in their lives about whether or not they wanted to vote for an African-American.”
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