'There Are a Lot of People Hurting'

Progressive independent Senator Bernie Sanders talks to Newsweek about how Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris can appeal to voters across the political spectrum

- JASON LEMON

SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS HAS A PLAN FOR how Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz can win the presidential election in November, and if you ask him, he'll tell you he has the data to support it.

While some strategists would likely advise Harris and Walz, the Democrats' presidential and vice presidential candidates, to moderate their policy views to effectively challenge GOP nominee Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, Sanders thinks they should do the opposite. The progressive independent senator from Vermont, who caucuses with Democrats and twice sought the party's presidential nomination, in 2016 and 2020, believes the data is on his side.

Polling from Data for Progress, which was commissioned by Sanders and conducted at the end of July, showed that majorities of Democrats, independents and Republicans in the six battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin back a range of progressive policy ideas including raising the minimum wage, increasing taxes on the wealthy and corporations, and significantly lowering the cost of prescription drugs. "I hesitate to even call them progressive," Sanders told Newsweek, describing these proposals as "common sense" ideas.

Although Republicans have worked hard to position themselves as the party of the working class, Sanders said this is more about Democrats' failings than any real policy solutions from the GOP.

"Many working-class people feel that the Democratic Party has kind of abandoned them," he said, explaining his hope that Harris will lead the party to reprioritize these voters. "If you speak to the needs of working families and don't worry so much about the lobbyists or the wealthy campaign contributors, you're going to bring forth a message that will resonate with working-class people all across this country whether they're Democrats, independents or Republicans," Sanders said.