{"id":2041,"date":"2026-08-05T06:07:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T06:07:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2041"},"modified":"2026-08-05T06:07:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T06:07:18","slug":"the-lefts-presidential-darkhorse-isnt-a-politician-at-all-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2041","title":{"rendered":"The Left\u2019s Presidential Darkhorse Isn\u2019t A Politician At All"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As 84-year-old Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) enters the twilight of his political career, Democrats on the Left are searching for a successor to lead the movement he built. Some now believe that person could be an unlikely candidate who has never held elected office.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Armed Man Arrested Outside Trump Golf Course Ahead Of President\u2019s Visit<\/a><\/p>\n

Politico reported<\/span> Tuesday that a behind-the-scenes battle is underway over who will inherit Sanders\u2019 political mantle after the Vermont socialist transformed the Democratic Party with his insurgent 2016 presidential campaign and helped propel a new generation of leftist candidates into office.<\/span><\/p>\n

While names such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) have been viewed as possible heirs, some Democratic insiders question whether either has the broad appeal to unite the movement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not certain AOC will even run for president, and right now, just Ro is really out there trying to fill that lane. That leaves a pretty thin field to pull from,\u201d one Democratic operative told Politico.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n
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Instead, some on the Left are looking outside elected office and increasingly discussing United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain.<\/p>\n

The <\/span>57-year-old Indiana native<\/span> could appeal to voters seeking change and a Democratic Party desperate to stop the bleeding with the working class.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

He rose to national prominence after leading the UAW\u2019s 2023 \u201cstand-up strike\u201d against the Big Three automakers, winning sizable raises while becoming one of organized labor\u2019s most recognizable voices. Fain has also become known for his attacks on the \u201cbillionaire class,\u201d often delivering speeches in an <\/span>\u201cEAT THE RICH\u201d<\/span> T-shirt, according to Politico.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike many of the Democratic Party\u2019s rising stars, Fain has never held elected office, a background that some leftists reportedly view as an asset rather than a liability.<\/p>\n

Read more Gossip Blogger Perez Hilton Sparks Police Response With Disturbing Video<\/a><\/p>\n

In the 2024 election, Democrats continued to win a majority of union households, but President Donald Trump made gains with organized labor. According to AP VoteCast, then-Vice President Kamala Harris won just over half of union household voters, while Trump captured 44% \u2014 a two-point increase from his 2020 showing. Four years earlier, Biden carried 56% of union households.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf he\u2019s willing to run, [he] might be the best candidate for the left,\u201d Bhaskar Sunkara, a 2020 Sanders surrogate and former vice chair of the Democratic Socialists of America, told Politico\u2019s Playbook. \u201cSince he\u2019s progressive but very much says his egalitarian value system comes from his Christianity, [he] can speak in a moral language that can reach more independents than other candidates, and I think it would set a good precedent for labor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Playbook also reported that Fain was recently approached about a potential presidential run and has not ruled it out privately.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe only presidency I have ever had any interest in is with the UAW to continue to build on the great work we\u2019ve done over the last 3 and a half years,\u201d Fain said in a statement to the outlet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fain has aligned himself with the Democratic Party\u2019s far-Left wing.\u00a0<\/span>Fain bucked the establishment and\u00a0endorsed Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed over moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, citing what he described as her ties to corporate interests.<\/p>\n

\u201cI talk all the time about \u2026 one of the biggest problems in this country right now \u2026 the rich, the corporate class,\u201d Fain told The Lever. \u201cThey\u2019ve divided the working class \u2026 while we\u2019re busy pointing fingers at each other, they\u2019re taking more and more of the profits we generate.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Trump Says He\u2019s A \u2018Consequential\u2019 President After Latest Security Scare<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a scam,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As 84-year-old Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) enters the twilight of his political career, Democrats on the Left are searching for a successor to lead the movement he built. Some now believe that person could be an unlikely candidate who has never held elected office.Politico reported Tuesday that a behind-the-scenes battle is underway over who will inherit Sanders\u2019 political mantle after the Vermont socialist transformed the Democratic Party with his insurgent 2016 presidential campaign and helped propel a new generation of leftist candidates into office.While names such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) have been viewed as possible heirs, some Democratic insiders question whether either has the broad appeal to unite the movement.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s not certain AOC will even run for president, and right now, just Ro is really out there trying to fill that lane. That leaves a pretty thin field to pull from,\u201d one Democratic operative told Politico.Instead, some on the Left are looking outside elected office and increasingly discussing United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain.The 57-year-old Indiana native could appeal to voters seeking change and a Democratic Party desperate to stop the bleeding with the working class.He rose to national prominence after leading the UAW\u2019s 2023 \u201cstand-up strike\u201d against the Big Three automakers, winning sizable raises while becoming one of organized labor\u2019s most recognizable voices. Fain has also become known for his attacks on the \u201cbillionaire class,\u201d often delivering speeches in an \u201cEAT THE RICH\u201d T-shirt, according to Politico.\u00a0\u00a0Unlike many of the Democratic Party\u2019s rising stars, Fain has never held elected office, a background that some leftists reportedly view as an asset rather than a liability.In the 2024 election, Democrats continued to win a majority of union households, but President Donald Trump made gains with organized labor. According to AP VoteCast, then-Vice President Kamala Harris won just over half of union household voters, while Trump captured 44% \u2014 a two-point increase from his 2020 showing. Four years earlier, Biden carried 56% of union households.\u00a0\u201cIf he\u2019s willing to run, [he] might be the best candidate for the left,\u201d Bhaskar Sunkara, a 2020 Sanders surrogate and former vice chair of the Democratic Socialists of America, told Politico\u2019s Playbook. \u201cSince he\u2019s progressive but very much says his egalitarian value system comes from his Christianity, [he] can speak in a moral language that can reach more independents than other candidates, and I think it would set a good precedent for labor.\u201dPlaybook also reported that Fain was recently approached about a potential presidential run and has not ruled it out privately.\u201cThe only presidency I have ever had any interest in is with the UAW to continue to build on the great work we\u2019ve done over the last 3 and a half years,\u201d Fain said in a statement to the outlet.\u00a0Fain has aligned himself with the Democratic Party\u2019s far-Left wing.\u00a0Fain bucked the establishment and\u00a0endorsed Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed over moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, citing what he described as her ties to corporate interests.\u201cI talk all the time about \u2026 one of the biggest problems in this country right now \u2026 the rich, the corporate class,\u201d Fain told The Lever. \u201cThey\u2019ve divided the working class \u2026 while we\u2019re busy pointing fingers at each other, they\u2019re taking more and more of the profits we generate.\u201d\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s a scam,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2031,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-2"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Left\u2019s Presidential Darkhorse Isn\u2019t A Politician At All - Blue Route Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2041\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Left\u2019s Presidential Darkhorse Isn\u2019t A Politician At All - Blue Route Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As 84-year-old Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) enters the twilight of his political career, Democrats on the Left are searching for a successor to lead the movement he built. Some now believe that person could be an unlikely candidate who has never held elected office.Politico reported Tuesday that a behind-the-scenes battle is underway over who will inherit Sanders\u2019 political mantle after the Vermont socialist transformed the Democratic Party with his insurgent 2016 presidential campaign and helped propel a new generation of leftist candidates into office.While names such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) have been viewed as possible heirs, some Democratic insiders question whether either has the broad appeal to unite the movement.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s not certain AOC will even run for president, and right now, just Ro is really out there trying to fill that lane. That leaves a pretty thin field to pull from,\u201d one Democratic operative told Politico.Instead, some on the Left are looking outside elected office and increasingly discussing United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain.The 57-year-old Indiana native could appeal to voters seeking change and a Democratic Party desperate to stop the bleeding with the working class.He rose to national prominence after leading the UAW\u2019s 2023 \u201cstand-up strike\u201d against the Big Three automakers, winning sizable raises while becoming one of organized labor\u2019s most recognizable voices. Fain has also become known for his attacks on the \u201cbillionaire class,\u201d often delivering speeches in an \u201cEAT THE RICH\u201d T-shirt, according to Politico.\u00a0\u00a0Unlike many of the Democratic Party\u2019s rising stars, Fain has never held elected office, a background that some leftists reportedly view as an asset rather than a liability.In the 2024 election, Democrats continued to win a majority of union households, but President Donald Trump made gains with organized labor. According to AP VoteCast, then-Vice President Kamala Harris won just over half of union household voters, while Trump captured 44% \u2014 a two-point increase from his 2020 showing. Four years earlier, Biden carried 56% of union households.\u00a0\u201cIf he\u2019s willing to run, [he] might be the best candidate for the left,\u201d Bhaskar Sunkara, a 2020 Sanders surrogate and former vice chair of the Democratic Socialists of America, told Politico\u2019s Playbook. \u201cSince he\u2019s progressive but very much says his egalitarian value system comes from his Christianity, [he] can speak in a moral language that can reach more independents than other candidates, and I think it would set a good precedent for labor.\u201dPlaybook also reported that Fain was recently approached about a potential presidential run and has not ruled it out privately.\u201cThe only presidency I have ever had any interest in is with the UAW to continue to build on the great work we\u2019ve done over the last 3 and a half years,\u201d Fain said in a statement to the outlet.\u00a0Fain has aligned himself with the Democratic Party\u2019s far-Left wing.\u00a0Fain bucked the establishment and\u00a0endorsed Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed over moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, citing what he described as her ties to corporate interests.\u201cI talk all the time about \u2026 one of the biggest problems in this country right now \u2026 the rich, the corporate class,\u201d Fain told The Lever. \u201cThey\u2019ve divided the working class \u2026 while we\u2019re busy pointing fingers at each other, they\u2019re taking more and more of the profits we generate.\u201d\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s a scam,\u201d he added.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2041\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blue Route Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-05T06:07:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2041#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2041\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c\"},\"headline\":\"The Left\u2019s Presidential Darkhorse Isn\u2019t A Politician At All\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-05T06:07:18+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2041\"},\"wordCount\":615,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2041#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/0688abd9dbd8480c5b9fac1135106622.avif\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2041#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2041\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2041\",\"name\":\"The Left\u2019s Presidential Darkhorse Isn\u2019t A Politician At All - 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Blue Route Journal","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2041","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Left\u2019s Presidential Darkhorse Isn\u2019t A Politician At All - Blue Route Journal","og_description":"As 84-year-old Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) enters the twilight of his political career, Democrats on the Left are searching for a successor to lead the movement he built. Some now believe that person could be an unlikely candidate who has never held elected office.Politico reported Tuesday that a behind-the-scenes battle is underway over who will inherit Sanders\u2019 political mantle after the Vermont socialist transformed the Democratic Party with his insurgent 2016 presidential campaign and helped propel a new generation of leftist candidates into office.While names such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) have been viewed as possible heirs, some Democratic insiders question whether either has the broad appeal to unite the movement.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s not certain AOC will even run for president, and right now, just Ro is really out there trying to fill that lane. That leaves a pretty thin field to pull from,\u201d one Democratic operative told Politico.Instead, some on the Left are looking outside elected office and increasingly discussing United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain.The 57-year-old Indiana native could appeal to voters seeking change and a Democratic Party desperate to stop the bleeding with the working class.He rose to national prominence after leading the UAW\u2019s 2023 \u201cstand-up strike\u201d against the Big Three automakers, winning sizable raises while becoming one of organized labor\u2019s most recognizable voices. Fain has also become known for his attacks on the \u201cbillionaire class,\u201d often delivering speeches in an \u201cEAT THE RICH\u201d T-shirt, according to Politico.\u00a0\u00a0Unlike many of the Democratic Party\u2019s rising stars, Fain has never held elected office, a background that some leftists reportedly view as an asset rather than a liability.In the 2024 election, Democrats continued to win a majority of union households, but President Donald Trump made gains with organized labor. According to AP VoteCast, then-Vice President Kamala Harris won just over half of union household voters, while Trump captured 44% \u2014 a two-point increase from his 2020 showing. Four years earlier, Biden carried 56% of union households.\u00a0\u201cIf he\u2019s willing to run, [he] might be the best candidate for the left,\u201d Bhaskar Sunkara, a 2020 Sanders surrogate and former vice chair of the Democratic Socialists of America, told Politico\u2019s Playbook. \u201cSince he\u2019s progressive but very much says his egalitarian value system comes from his Christianity, [he] can speak in a moral language that can reach more independents than other candidates, and I think it would set a good precedent for labor.\u201dPlaybook also reported that Fain was recently approached about a potential presidential run and has not ruled it out privately.\u201cThe only presidency I have ever had any interest in is with the UAW to continue to build on the great work we\u2019ve done over the last 3 and a half years,\u201d Fain said in a statement to the outlet.\u00a0Fain has aligned himself with the Democratic Party\u2019s far-Left wing.\u00a0Fain bucked the establishment and\u00a0endorsed Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed over moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, citing what he described as her ties to corporate interests.\u201cI talk all the time about \u2026 one of the biggest problems in this country right now \u2026 the rich, the corporate class,\u201d Fain told The Lever. \u201cThey\u2019ve divided the working class \u2026 while we\u2019re busy pointing fingers at each other, they\u2019re taking more and more of the profits we generate.\u201d\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s a scam,\u201d he added.","og_url":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2041","og_site_name":"Blue Route Journal","article_published_time":"2026-08-05T06:07:18+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2041#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2041"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/#\/schema\/person\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c"},"headline":"The Left\u2019s Presidential Darkhorse Isn\u2019t A Politician At All","datePublished":"2026-08-05T06:07:18+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2041"},"wordCount":615,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2041#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0688abd9dbd8480c5b9fac1135106622.avif","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2041#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2041","url":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2041","name":"The Left\u2019s Presidential Darkhorse Isn\u2019t A Politician At All - 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