But Sunrise’s young leaders say that, after two years of pitched battles across the country, they are prepared for the fights to come.
Founded in 2017, the group first scored national attention when its members arrived as uninvited guests for a sit-in at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office on Capitol Hill, shortly before she formally reclaimed the speakership, after the 2018 midterm. Since then, it has emerged as an activist powerhouse with growing electoral might. While they are closely allied with groups like Justice Democrats in backing progressive primary challengers, the group’s most significant campaign victory came months before Biden defeated Trump in November.
Earlier this year, the organization launched an all-out defense of Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, a co-author with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of the Green New Deal resolution, against a Democratic primary challenge from Rep. Joe Kennedy III this summer. Its successful marshalling of progressive energy behind Markey, in what most viewed as an uphill fight to win renomination, underscored the potency of the group’s political operation — and projected a sense among the Washington elite of the outsiders having a growing handle on the inside game.
“Most people just see us as the agitators who are never happy, who are never really going to back anyone, who are just constantly throwing stones but not willing to go to bat for any political leader, besides maybe AOC,” executive director Varshini Prakash told CNN. The Markey campaign “was an opportunity to show that we are willing to back you if you back us, and that we are willing to throw down if you are willing to take the risks to your friendships, your image or whatever it is that you’re worried about.”
From Bernie to Biden
Getting on board with Biden, though, was a more complicated proposition — and sell to volunteers and supporters who overwhelmingly supported Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders during the primary. Sunrise political director Evan Weber said the Biden team made the first contact, a courtesy call in June 2019, after the campaign put out the first iteration of its climate plan. But the group was all-in for Sanders and there were no further conversations, he said, until after Super Tuesday in March.
At that point, the primary was effectively decided. Biden was on track to be the nominee and his team launched a more aggressive courtship. Biden aide Cristobal Alex, who had made the initial call last year, reached out again — this time to schedule a conversation with Weber and Prakash. Symone Sanders, a senior campaign adviser, and Biden policy director Stef Feldman also wanted to chat.
“They were being very intentional, seeing the writing on the wall — one, that they were likely going to win the primary and, two, they had a big problem with young people, young progressives, and the Bernie wing of the party,” Weber said.
When Sanders dropped out in April, Sunrise and other allied groups addressed an open letter that began by congratulating Biden, but mostly outlined what they viewed as his shortcomings and where he should consider shifting his positions.
“I think they were probably a little bit upset about the…
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