Bernie Sanders Asks for Donations to Reelect “The Squad”

In an e-mail sent out on Sunday night, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., asked his supporters to split a three-way donation among Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who comprise most of the self-proclaimed “Squad.”

Sanders wrote, “today I am asking you to support some extraordinary congresswomen — and important leaders of our movement — to ensure they can continue fighting for our values in Congress.” He left out the fourth member of the coalition, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass. However, unlike the other three, she is not facing a Republican opponent this fall nor a Democratic primary challenger. Pressley was the only member of “The Squad” not to endorse Sanders in the Democratic primary, as she backed Elizabeth Warren’s campaign.

Tlaib is facing a primary challenge from Brenda Jones, the Detroit City Council President who narrowly lost the Democratic primary race to Tlaib in 2018. Ocasio-Cortez is facing a Democratic primary challenge from former CNBC contributor, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, who has found financial backing from several Wall Street titans.

Ilhan Omar faces a primary challenge from three other Democrats - John Mason, Antone Melton-Meaux and Leila Shukri Adan. Should she win the Democratic primary, she would face well-backed financial opposition from a Republican Party eager to unseat her.

However, polling analysis done last year by FiveThirtyEight indicates that members of “The Squad” are fairly safe bets for reelection, writing that “All four sit in deeply Democratic seats with FiveThirtyEight partisan leans of D+52 or bluer. And among Democrats, their national net favorability ratings are excellent. Per Emerson, Ocasio-Cortez’s net favorability rating within the party is +37, Omar’s is +26, Tlaib’s is +31, and Pressley’s is +30.”

In fact, some polling indicates that Rep. Tlaib is more popular among Democrats in her district than she is among Democrats nationwide. Add in the fact that “The Squad” has a lot of cash on hand thanks to their ability to raise money from small-dollar donors, and even with a motivated opposition they have the cash and polling to make them favorites to win their primaries. The Republican opposition waiting for them this fall is even less likely to unseat any of “The Squad,” given how all three facing challengers are in heavy Democratic districts.