Sanders backs ouster of DNC chair

The presidential hopeful endorses a long-shot primary challenge against the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Tim Canova was driving from a rally against money in politics to a protest against chemical giant Monsanto when his spokeswoman called to tell him that Sen. Bernie Sanders had just gone on CNN and endorsed his longshot primary challenge against the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

It was a rather big moment for a little-known law professor with a shaved head who, in another year, might not have created so much as a ripple for Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is seeking her seventh House term and has won all her previous elections in landslides.

A few hours later, Sanders called Canova for the first time — and the next day signed a fundraising email for him. Over the next 48 hours, Canova brought in about $300,000.

Canova, 56, finds himself in the right place at the right time. Wasserman Schultz, 49, has become increasingly unpopular within the liberal base of the party — and among Sanders supporters in particular. Though she claims to be neutral in the presidential nominating contest, many Berniecrats believe that she has tipped the scales in Hillary Clinton’s favor. They see her, as they see Clinton, as beholden to wealthy donors and focused on winning elections at the expense of advancing progressive principles.

Since that’s what Canova’s campaign is all about, his bid has become a proxy battle for everything dividing Democrats this year. “She’s emblematic of an establishment not serving the grass roots,” Canova said of his opponent during a two-hour interview.

Just as Sanders’s challenge has brought unwelcome attention to Clinton’s vulnerabilities, so, too, has Canova shined a spotlight on Wasserman Schultz’s weaknesses as the head of the DNC

Even if she beats back his August primary challenge, which she is ultimately favored to do, the ferociousness of the criticism has exposed her unpopularity within the Democratic grass roots. It has also raised the volume on whether she should continue in her party post.

Sanders has focused national attention on the matter by declaring his desire to replace her.

For Sanders supporters, the list of Wasserman Schultz’s offenses is long. There was a primary debate schedule, with several weekend events, that seemed designed for as few people to watch as possible. There is the view that she overreacted to a party data breach by the Sanders campaign, after which he was cut off from a crucial voter file just weeks before the Iowa caucuses.

And no one has forgotten that she was Clinton’s national cochairwoman during her 2008 campaign against Obama. “If Democrats are unified coming out of the convention, it will be in spite of her — not because of her,” Canova said.

Canova is trying to figure out how to scale up a campaign apparatus to compete with one of the most powerful figures in Democratic politics. Obama has endorsed Wasserman Schultz, and Vice President Biden is coming down next month to headline a fundraiser for her.

Only a small slice of South Florida will vote, but Canova is doing everything he can to nationalize the race.

The Communications Workers of America and National Nurses United, two unions that back Sanders, have endorsed him. On Friday, he secured the support of Democracy for America, an outside group that has been supportive of Sanders.

Wasserman Schultz responded a few hours later by announcing the support of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC.

All told, Canova has now raised nearly $1.5 million. Like Sanders, almost all of it has been small-dollar donations that were collected online.

Even Wasserman Schultz’s allies acknowledge that the influx of cash has given Canova credibility. But this is not the most fertile territory to sow the political revolution Sanders and Canova seek. Clinton won the March presidential primary in the 23rd District with 68 percent of the vote, compared with 31 percent for Sanders.

The district is largely made up of the very voters Sanders has failed to make inroads with during the long nominating contest. It stretches along the coast and then covers lower-income inland areas: 38 percent of the district’s voters are Latino, and 10 percent are African American.

Canova, who teaches at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, decided in January to run mainly because of Wasserman Schultz’s support for giving Obama fast-track authority to negotiate trade deals.