A spokeswoman for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) weighed in on Michael Bloomberg’s belated entrance into the 2020 race following the former New York City’s official announcement over the weekend.
Briahna Joy Gray, echoing comments made previously by Sanders himself following Bloomberg’s announcement, said Monday that “people don’t take kindly to the idea of an election being bought.”
Gray went on to contrast Sanders’s own strategy of raising money from small donors to Bloomberg’s, noting that the Sanders’s campaign relies on a strong network of grassroots support.
Following Bloomberg’s campaign announcement, Sanders argued that he doesn’t think the former New York City mayor will make it very far in the race.
“We do not believe that billionaires have the right to buy elections, and that is why we are going to overturn Citizens United, that is why multi-billionaires like Mr. Bloomberg are not going to get very far in this election, that is why we are going to end voter suppression in America,” Sanders said at a campaign event.
A spokesperson for Bloomberg’s campaign declined to comment on Gray’s remarks.
Sanders’s campaign announced last week that it had reached 4 million individual contributions. The campaign noted that Sanders had not reached that level until after the New Hampshire Democratic primary in 2016.
“In two million instances, individuals in $18 increments are deciding to put their money where their mouth is and support a candidate that reflects their worldview,” Gray told Hill.TV in reference to the milestone. “That’s what Democracy looks like and that is in a direct contrast to what Bloomberg is doing out there.”
After weeks of speculation, Bloomberg formally kicked off his White House bid on Sunday.
“We cannot afford four more years of President Trump’s reckless and unethical actions,” Bloomberg said in a statement. “He represents an existential threat to our country and our values. If he wins another term in office, we may never recover from the damage.”
The statement also stated that Bloomberg, who has an estimated net worth of more than $50 billion, will not accept donations and will fund his own campaign.
Bloomberg’s team spent at least $30 million in ads in the days leading up to his official entrance into the race. His campaign has also launched a $100 million anti-Trump ad campaign and a $15 million voter registration drive across a group of key battleground states.
According to the Washington Post, his spending plans already double the amount raised by Sanders through September.
—Tess Bonn
Updated at 8:55 p.m.
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