Harry Reid reportedly talked Bernie Sanders out of a primary challenge against Obama in 2012


Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is in the middle of his second bid for the presidency, but there was apparently a moment in 2012 when he considered launching a primary challenge against then-President Barack Obama, The Atlantic reported Wednesday.
Obama's re-election campaign manager Jim Messina told The Atlantic — and multiple sources confirmed his account — Sanders informed his fellow Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) he was thinking about entering the race. Leahy was reportedly alarmed by the news and tipped off Messina about the possibility. Messina said the re-election campaign was "absolutely panicked," because incumbents who face a real primary race tend to lose the general election.
Enter then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who had a good relationship with both Sanders and Obama. In this case, he sided with the latter and told Sanders to drop the idea. Sanders agreed.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Still, The Atlantic reports, the episode produced a tense, if mostly dormant, relationship between Obama and Sanders. For example, in 2013, Sanders reportedly tore into the president for selling out to the GOP over Social Security benefits. Obama reportedly pushed back forcefully, and a number of senators told The Atlantic they were struck by the exchange.
But while it's evident Sanders isn't Obama's first choice to win the 2020 Democratic nomination, there's no indication he'll seek to prevent Sanders' victory, and both camps have attempted to downplay their differences. Read more at The Atlantic.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US