T
hroughout the primary campaign season for the
Democratic presidential nomination, Bernie Sanders
and National Nurses United RN members had one sin-
gular message in the face of naysayers: We're in it to
win it.
That meant that Sanders, and nurses, would give it
their all during the campaign, no holding back.
Sanders made good on his promise, and nurses cer-
tainly did as well.
Though Sanders' historic bid for the Democratic presidential
nomination did not ultimately succeed, nurses had no regrets about
their necessary work on behalf of his campaign and the movement.
Everyone agreed that he, largely fueled by the tremendous enthusi-
asm, energy, and commitment of supporters such as nurses, ran a
historic campaign that has reawakened a nationwide, populist
movement to fight for social, economic, racial, and climate justice.
"I have to say that Bernie not winning the nomination really hurt,
hurt my heart and it hurt my soul," said Martese Chism, a Chicago RN
and member of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses
Organizing Committee board of directors who probably logged the
most hours traveling the country on the Bernie Bus. "But I'm proud
that I was part of this historic moment. Bernie came out of nowhere
to accomplish a lot. He proved that if you fight, you could win. So even
if Bernie fell short this time, the political revolution will not fall short."
Starting with NNU nurses' endorsement of Sanders for the Dem-
ocratic presidential nomination in August 2015, through the early
caucuses, the first Super Tuesday, the second Super Tuesday, and
then onward to the big push for the primary showdown in Califor-
nia, "Bernie's nurses" were a ubiquitous and rallying presence in the
Sanders campaign.
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All
Nurses were proud to
play pivotal roles in historic
presidential campaign
to elect Sanders
