The 2020 Bernie Delegates Network Announces Launch as Progressive Force for
Democratic National Convention
By Our Revolution, Progressive Democrats of America and RootsAction.org, The
2020 Bernie Delegates Network for Political Action
21 May 20
Three progressive national organizations today announced formation of the
2020 Bernie Delegates Network, which will serve as a communications and
action hub for more than 1,000 Bernie Sanders delegates to the Democratic
National Convention.
Selected last week as a Sanders delegate from Arizona to the 2020 national
convention, Patti Serrano said: "We look forward to continue holding the
party's top leaders accountable. We are committed to speaking truths on
policies that affect and hurt our communities. By organizing and ensuring we
hold ground on the everyday issues that directly impact the majority of
people in our nation, like the fundamental human right to quality
healthcare, I am hopeful that the Bernie Delegates Network will have a
positive impact on this year's convention." Serrano, who was born and raised
in South Tucson, is the daughter of Mexican immigrants.
In a joint statement, the sponsoring groups -- Our Revolution, Progressive
Democrats of America and RootsAction.org -- said that the network will work
to support and connect delegates at the DNC.
"The progressive base of the Democratic Party is determined to be heard,"
the statement said. "At the grassroots, it's clear where the political
momentum is headed. Unless the Democratic ticket and the party's top leaders
are willing to fully recognize and respond to the broadly popular policy
views of party activists, we're in grave danger of low, 2016-level voter
turnouts and the re-election of Donald Trump. It is unacceptable for
top-ranking Democrats to maintain corporate business-as-usual."
In the weeks before the party's national convention in Philadelphia, the
2016 Bernie Delegates Network was organized and sponsored by RootsAction and
PDA. Conducting one-delegate one-vote online elections, the network gauged
and publicized the views of Sanders delegates on key issues and plans.
A July 2016 network survey of several hundred Sanders delegates on likely VP
running mates found that just 3 percent said that Tim Kaine would be
"acceptable" -- with 9 percent undecided and 88 percent saying Kaine was
"unacceptable." A week later, Hillary Clinton announced Kaine as her choice.
Today's statement from the 2020 Bernie Delegates Network said: "We will be
urging the current Democratic leadership to heed the concerns of
progressives and avoid the kind of mistakes that led to defeat four years
ago."
