Bernie Sanders makes his next moves to reshape the Democratic Party

Sen. Bernie Sanders might be done touring the country for now.

Sen. Bernie Sanders might be done touring the country for now. But he’s still making his mark on the Democratic Party by backing progressive candidates earlier than ever ahead of the 2026 midterms — and that early action is by design.

“This is a pivotal moment in American history. And it is absolutely imperative that we have candidates and elected officials who have the guts to say, ‘No, I don’t want your billionaire campaign contributions. I’m going to stand up for working families,’” the Vermont independent told NBC News in an interview, acknowledging that he is intentionally endorsing candidates early in their campaigns.

“So the people that we are endorsing believe that health care is a human right. They understand that the current campaign finance system is broken and corrupt. We got to get rid of the Citizens United. They want to raise the minimum wage,” Sanders said. “They are standing up for working people, and I believe they’re going to win.”

Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., during the Fighting Oligarchy rally in Harrisburg, Pa., on May 2. Nathan Morris / NurPhoto via Reuters Connect fileSo far, Sanders has endorsed seven candidates for statewide office and for Congress ahead of the 2026 midterms, including some in crucial midterm battlegrounds, and he said there could be “more to come.” It’s a departure from recent election cycles, when Sanders often backed his chosen candidates just a few weeks before a primary election. And the strategy suggests that Sanders sees an opening to reshape the Democratic Party, which is grappling with historically low ratings.

“What the American people are saying [is]: Who is standing up for us? Who understands our pain? Who’s going to improve our lives?” Sanders said. “And I think over the years, the Democratic Party has done a lot of good things in terms of women’s rights, the environment, civil rights, gay rights. But in terms of the needs of the working class, I’m sorry to have to say they have not.”