Tuesday's other big winner: Bernie Sanders

By DAVID SIDERS 08/29/2018 11:24 AM EDT

Excerpt:

When Andrew Gillum was lagging in third or fourth place in most public opinion polls and almost no one thought he could win, Bernie Sanders was there. The Vermont senator delivered a crucial endorsement — even if Gillum’s campaign for Florida governor seemed to be something of a lost cause.

Gillum had already been endorsed by billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer and the liberal donor George Soros when Sanders waded unexpectedly into the race. But Sanders generated a wave of publicity for Gillum, who was up against two free-spending candidates and former Congresswoman Gwen Graham, the daughter of a former governor and senator.

In addition to campaigning alongside him, Sanders helped Gillum raise money, and he used his sizable email list to send get-out-the-vote emails for the Tallahassee mayor.

With Gillum’s victory, however, Sanders now holds an affiliation with all three African American Democrats running for governor in November. In addition to Gillum, he backed Stacey Abrams in Georgia and Ben Jealous in Maryland.

Gillum’s victory capped an especially successful night for Sanders in Florida. Sanders endorsed nine candidates across the state, including several state House candidates. Of the Sanders-backed candidates, four ran in contested primaries, and all of them won.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/29/bernie-sanders-florida-primary-2018-801681


Sen. Bernie Sanders (left) delivered a crucial endorsement — even if Andrew Gillum’s campaign for Florida governor seemed to be something of a lost cause. | Chris O’Meara/AP Photo