Organizers credit Bernie Sanders for progressive wins
The gist
Democrats won the Senate, House and a majority of governorships, with at least 18 progressive congressional victories.
Organizers say Sanders' decade of movement-building built the bench behind the wave.
How it unfolded
- 2015Sanders announced his presidential bid, described by one organizer as starting with "a man with 1% vote and three people."
- 2021Sanders-aligned organizers won sustained leadership of the Nebraska Democratic Party, while a DSA-backed slate swept Nevada's state-party leadership.
- Feb 5, 2026Analilia Mejia, a former Sanders staffer backed by Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, won a special New Jersey House primary with 29.3% to Tom Malinowski's 27.6%.