Sanders calls on DNC to ban super PACs before 2024 primaries

Senator Bernie Sanders on Sunday demanded that Democratic leaders immediately bar super PACs from funding primary campaigns, calling the groups a “corruption risk” that tilts the playing field against everyday candidates.

In a letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, the Vermont independent argued that super PAC spending distorts democracy by letting wealthy donors amplify certain contenders while drowning out grassroots voices. Sanders cited the 2020 and 2024 cycles, when outside groups poured hundreds of millions into attack ads that shaped which Democrats survived early contests, often before voters had a real say.

The push comes as super PACs tied to big donors are already lining up for the next presidential primary, with early polls showing a crowded field. Sanders has long railed against the influence of big money in politics, and this move puts pressure on party leaders to adopt rules before candidates declare. In 2019, the DNC quietly considered a super PAC ban but shelved it after pushback from establishment figures who argued the cash was needed to counter Republican outside spending.

Democrats now face a choice: either curb their own fundraising arms or keep relying on billionaires to decide who gets a fair shot. Sanders is giving them a deadline, saying the party should act before the first primary debates, now less than a year away. If the DNC refuses, the fight will spill into public view, with progressive groups already vowing to make it a litmus test for party loyalty. How the leadership responds could determine whether the next Democratic nominee rises on ideas—or on cash.