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Connections
Connections

Former Sanders supporters on the rightward shift in many American counties

By Evan Dawson,
Megan Mack, Julie Williams
Published December 3, 2024 at 2:46 PM EST
Three smiling people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman at left has brown hair in a ponytail and is wearing a red and black plaid button-down shirt; a woman at center has short dark hair and is wearing a pink turtleneck sweater; a man at right has short dark hair and is wearing a blue and pink plaid tie, white button-down shirt, and jeans.
Gary Pudup
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WXXI News
Abigail McHugh-Grifa and Kelly Cheatle on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Tuesday, December 3, 2024
A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.
WXXI News

Since Election Day, Democrats have been searching for answers on how to stop the rightward shift in many American counties. Urban, suburban, rural: most turned redder.

Senator Bernie Sanders has a very pointed answer, starting with this view that many voters didn't see Vice President Kamala Harris as authentically driven to solve major economic issues. And now, a number of leading Democrats are wondering if they should give the Vermont Senator more time and emphasis.

We talk to former Sanders supporters who are hoping to organize for similar candidates in the future.

Our guests:

  • Abigail McHugh-Grifa, former Sanders organizer
  • Kelly Cheatle, artist and community organizer
Tags
Connections Monroe County elections 2024
Evan Dawson
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
See stories by Evan Dawson
Megan Mack
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
See stories by Megan Mack
Julie Williams
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson" and is also the office administrator for radio, news and technology and operations. She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.
See stories by Julie Williams