Super Tuesday bar hopping finds Bernie stalwarts

Winter 2020

Super Tuesday bar hopping finds Bernie stalwarts

March 9, 2020

By Roderick Diamond
Medill Reports

Bars across Chicago filled with Democratic presidential candidate supporters watching Super Tuesday primary results from 14 states. For stalwarts who felt the “Bern,” Burke’s bar in Edgewater Public House and the Teal Room in Roger Parks hosted events by Bernie Sanders’ campaign groups in those communities.

The biggest winners of Super Tuesday were former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Biden finished the night with 610 delegates after winning the state primaries in Texas, Virginia, Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Maine, and Massachusetts. Sanders collected 513 delegates with only 4 states – his home state of Vermont, Colorado, Utah and California.

California saved Bernie, ultimately delivering 210 of the state’s 415 delegates to keep him in the race. Many of Bernie’s supporters remained optimistic, with six states including Michigan up for grabs in the March 10 primaries and Illinois, Florida, Arizona and Ohio holding primaries on March 17.

“I thinks its remarkable Sanders is doing as well as he is considering how the rest of the party and candidates dislike him,” said supporter Eric Schuster. ” I think its interesting that Sanders’ strength is not based on the amount of money he has collected but the amount of people that support him and the small donations that he has collected. I think it is really telling where particularly young adults are thinking and feeling right now.”

“We have events that are more work-oriented but its nice to watch the results in a communal setting,” said Roger Parks organizer Kathleen Dillion.

Burke’s Public House In Edgewater hosted for the Edgewater for Bernie Sanders organization on Super Tuesday. It was just one of the many bars that hosted a Super Tuesday watch party and one of the many that hosted Sanders supporters. (Roderick Diamond II/Medill)

Jenna Rawski, a Bernie supporter at Burke’s Public House, works in healthcare and aligns her views with the idea of affordable health care for all. (Roderick Diamond II/Medill)

Patrons enjoyed rounds of beverages at the bars, with Sanders supporters staying upbeat even as the evening wore on in Biden’s increasing favor.
(Roderick Diamond II/ Medill)

Kathleen Dillion, a Rogers Park organizers for Bernie Sanders, wears buttons depicting different Sanders campaign slogans. (Roderick Diamond/Medill)

Photo at top: Jenna Rawski, a Bernie Sanders supporter at Burke’s Public House, works in healthcare and aligns her views with the idea of affordable health care for all. (Roderick Diamond II/Medill)