Bernie Sanders a hit among America’s teachers
Guess which Presidential hopeful (and ex-teacher) trails Sanders in fundraising?
Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a strong promoter of labor unions, is winning a 2020 fan base among the country’s educators.
The group has given $13.2 million to 2020 Democrats through the end of September, including $2.9 million to Sanders, according to data compiled by Open Secrets. Sanders received $1.2 million in campaign contributions from teachers alone – a group that contributed $3.6 million overall through Sept. 30.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren – who herself was a teacher and law professor – proved to be the most popular candidate among professors in the U.S., receiving $800,000 from that group. From educators overall, she received the second-highest total at $2.6 million.
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg trailed Warren with $1.7 million, followed by California Sen. Kamala Harris and former Vice President Joe Biden.
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Sanders and Warren have both used their campaigns to fight to bolster labor unions – at a time when teachers unions from around the country have gone on strike during contract negotiations. Sanders, for example, stood with Chicago teachers during a rally at the end of last month, about a week before the group went on strike. That strike ended on Thursday, after 11 missed school days.
The nation’s second-largest public school system in Los Angeles also went on strike at the beginning of this year for six days.
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Both candidates have also released plans to make public college tuition free and to either completely or partially erase student loan debt.
Sanders also released a plan to overhaul public education, which included a bid to raise the minimum salary for teachers to $60,000. Warren’s plan stopped short of detailing specific salary details.