Veteran Democratic Strategist Criticizes Party for Suppressing Bernie Sanders' 2016 Run

Tad Devine, a veteran Democratic consultant, has published a book accusing the party’s establishment of sabotaging Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential effort, pointing to superdelegate influence, unequal fundraising, and limited access to DNC voter data. He traces his relationship with Sanders from a 1996 House campaign through the 2006 Senate race, noting that the party’s backing helped the latter succeed. Devine observes that the Democratic National Committee, under chair Ken Martin, has become financially weak and barely visible on television.

He contrasts this with the surge in money raised by Sanders-aligned candidates, citing Graham Platner’s $21 million Senate bid in Maine and Zohran Mamdani’s near-$1 million House fundraising. Interviews with senior strategists suggest a Sanders endorsement now carries roughly a third of primary votes, and polls show a majority of Democratic voters are open to a democratic socialist president. While the book was drafted after the party’s 2024 loss to President Donald Trump, Devine’s epilogue urges a generational leadership change rather than a shift toward the left. The work underscores the tension between the party’s establishment and the rising populist, socialist wing it once tried to marginalize.