Sen. Bernie Sanders is pressing Democratic Party leadership to bar super PACs from influencing primary contests, warning in a letter shared exclusively with “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that the current campaign finance landscape has created what he called a “corrupt system.”
Super PACs are permitted to raise and spend unlimited sums in support of political candidates, though they are legally prohibited from coordinating directly with campaigns. In his letter, Sanders pointed to more than $517 million already spent by corporate-backed super PACs in the 2026 midterm election cycle. The appeal was sent to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin. Sanders, an independent senator, regularly aligns and caucuses with Democrats.
The role of super PAC money and outside political spending has become a flashpoint in several Democratic races. In Michigan’s Senate contest, Haley Stevens, a Democratic candidate who was defeated by Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, benefited from more than $50 million in outside spending, including $30 million from the pro-Israel group American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Sanders specifically cited AIPAC’s donations supporting Stevens, while also pointing to reports that the group is preparing to spend “tens of millions” of dollars to help Republican Mike Rogers, who is set to face El-Sayed in the general election.
“What is particularly obscene is not only the outrageous amount of money coming into Democratic primaries from billionaire-funded super PACs, but the reality that these special interests have no particular desire to see Democrats win,” Sanders wrote.
“It is absurd that they spend tens of millions of dollars to try to determine who the Democratic nominee is and, if they fail, then proceed to support the Republican candidate in the general election,” Sanders added. “That is not democracy. That is not what Democratic voters want.”
The Vermont senator renewed his call for a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United, the landmark 2010 Supreme Court decision that removed restrictions on independent political spending by outside organizations. He also backed legislation to establish public financing for elections. But Sanders said the Democratic Party can act more immediately by banning super PAC involvement in its primary elections.
“I urge you to take action and make clear that the Democratic Party will no longer maintain this corrupt system,” Sanders wrote.
“While there are ideological differences of opinion within the big tent of the party, I would hope that we can all agree that Republican special interests should not play a role in determining the outcome of Democratic primaries. The time to act is now.”
