2020 presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., will be asked next week to sign a piece of paper affirming he’s a Democrat.
The Democratic National Committee is expected to brief the campaigns of declared candidates as well as contenders who have formed exploratory committees in the coming days. This year, the briefing packet will include a “candidate affirmation form,” a DNC official told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday.
“Candidates who have officially announced their candidacy will have a week to return a signed copy of the affirmation form to the DNC,” the official said. “As any additional candidates enter the race, they will be provided with the same information and will be required to return the form in the same time frame.”
The extra paperwork is the result of a party rule change that was formally adopted last August in response to complaints the 2016 nominating process was not fair or transparent. Under the regulations, a presidential candidate must “be a bona fide Democrat” whose record of public service, including public statements, demonstrates they are faithful to the “interests, welfare, and success” of the organization. Those vying for the White House must also “affirm in writing” that they are a Democrat, will accept the nomination, and will run and serve as a member of the party. The DNC official did not specify what would happen if a presidential hopeful did not complete the form.
Sanders announced on Tuesday he was launching a second bid for the White House. In the first 24 hours, he received $5.9 million in contributions, beating out all other competitors, and picked up endorsements from Sen. Patrick Leahy and Rep. Pete Welch, both from his home state.
Sanders’ campaign did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment on Wednesday regarding whether he would sign the DNC’s affirmation, but Jeff Weaver, Sanders’ senior campaign adviser and 2016 campaign manager, told CNN on Wednesday that Sanders will sign the party pledge form.
Sanders has taken steps in the past to boost his election odds, which has included embracing the Democratic Party for short periods of time. When Sanders vied for the 2016 nomination against former secretary of state and eventual nominee Hillary Clinton, he briefly registered as a Democrat in New Hampshire ahead of its primary election to ensure that he was on the ballot. Sanders also ran as a Democrat in his 2006, 2012, and 2018 senatorial primary campaigns in Vermont, a state that does not require party registration. He then refused the party’s nomination before contesting the general election as an independent. The Vermont Democratic Party condones Sanders’ tactic, passing a resolution last May that gave him “all the rights and privileges that come with such membership at the state and federal level.”
Other allies cite the support Sanders has given Democratic candidates via fundraising drives or acting as a surrogate on the campaign trail as evidence of his Democratic bonafides.
Despite being touted as Congress’ longest serving independent, Sanders has caucused with Democrats since 1991 when he first arrived on Capitol Hill as the at-large representative for Vermont. Doing so has allowed him to be appointed to committees, a privilege he receives in exchange for voting with Democrats on all procedural issues.
The three-term senator on Tuesday fought off criticism related to why he is again seeking the Democratic nomination without officially being a member of the party.
“Well, first of all, I am a member of the Democratic leadership,” he told CBS News. “I’ve been in the Democratic caucus. I am part of the leadership of the Senate. I have been part of the Democratic caucus in the House for 16 years. And I will say this in terms of that so, and I have knocked my brains out, running around the country to help Democrats win the House, to help governors win, Democratic governors win their seats.”
