Gravel Campaign Ends; Gravel Endorses Sanders
New York, NY: The Gravel campaign announced Tuesday that Senator Gravel will be dropping out to endorse Senator Bernie Sanders.
Senator Gravel launched his unusual bid for the presidency at the urging of two New York teenagers, David Oks and Henry Williams, who served as his campaign manager and chief of staff, respectively. He ran with the explicit goal not of winning but of moving the conversation to the left—and serving as an exponent for his long-held opposition to war, the military-industrial complex, and the corporate state.
The decision to end the campaign was not sudden and had been telegraphed in advance by the campaign for weeks. The campaign had been started with the intention of dropping out after the summer debates.
Gravel qualified for the Democratic debates in July, raking in 67,000 donations—more than several incumbent members of Congress, two governors, and the mayor of America’s most populous city—but was shut out due to criteria favoring polling over grassroots fundraising. The campaign, conducted largely via Twitter, also funded the airing of anti-Joe Biden ads in Iowa and nationwide.
“We were sad that Senator Gravel wasn’t included in the debates despite a massive grassroots upswell of donations, but it was an honor to work for such a great man. This campaign is ultimately a tribute to a true American hero,” Oks said.
The video, which was released on Twitter Tuesday morning and retweeted by Sanders’ campaign account, features Gravel speaking to the camera in his Monterey, California home. “My name is Mike Gravel. I’m proud, and honored, to endorse Senator Bernie Sanders for the presidency of the United States,” Gravel said.
Williams clarified that the endorsement is not a slight of other candidates. “We really like Tulsi Gabbard, Elizabeth Warren, Marianne Williamson, and Andrew Yang,” Williams said. “We love Bernie but have such a deep respect for each of them, despite any disagreements we might have. We hope that they all find their way into government at some point.”
Special praise was offered for Gabbard, whose anti-war stance aligns closely with that of Gravel. “She would be an excellent president of the United States, or vice president, whichever the circumstances permit,” Gravel said.
Gravel will advocate independently for Sanders as well as for Gabbard.
As promised, leftover funds will be donated to relief for Flint, Michigan and other charities.
