Key Sanders 2016 strategists won’t return for 2020 campaign

WASHINGTON — Three strategists who played key roles in Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign said Tuesday they will not join his 2020 White House bid, in the latest sign of how the campaign may look different this time around.

Tad Devine, Julian Mulvey and Mark Longabaugh said they would not work for Sanders’ 2020 campaign. Their firm was behind Sanders’ 2016 media strategy, including a 60-second television spot titled “America” that included the Simon and Garfunkel song by that name.

“We are leaving because we believe that Sen. Sanders deserves to have media consultants who share his creative vision for the campaign,” Devine, Longabaugh and Mulvey said in a statement.

While his 2016 campaign stunned the Democratic establishment with its insurgent energy, it was also criticized for failing to appeal to people of colour and for treating women poorly.

Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir said in a statement “the campaign appreciates all the good work DML has done and wishes them well.”

Two and Out

PETERS: Paying attention is half the battle

Jan 17, 2025

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: 4 ways to take ownership of our food system this new year

Jan 17, 2025

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: January 16, 2025

Jan 16, 2025

With the campaign in its early days, Sanders already is signalling that he’s seeking to professionalize his operation. Shakir recently joined Sanders’ team after working as the political director for the American Civil Liberties Union.

His previous campaign manager, Jeff Weaver, has been criticized for not responding sufficiently to allegations of sexual harassment on the 2016 campaign. He remains a senior adviser to the 2020 operation.

Sanders is among the most well-known Democrats in a crowded field. He has already showcased his impressive fundraising prowess, outpacing his rivals by raising $10 million in the first week.

Sanders will hold a pair of rallies this weekend to formally launch his campaign. The events, which will happen in Brooklyn, where he was born, and Chicago, where he attended college and participated in civil rights protests, are aimed at more effectively presenting his personal narrative.

__

Associated Press writer Elana Schor in Washington contributed reporting.

Juana Summers, The Associated Press