Jon Svitavsky Credit: Facebook
Reports of the demise of Jon Svitavsky’s U.S. Senate campaign are greatly exaggerated.

So says the social worker and advocate for the homeless, after his campaign Twitter account posted a message on Tuesday saying “The Svitavsky Campaign is Terminated.”

Svitavsky is a political neophyte who announced last month that he would challenge incumbent Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for the Democratic nomination in 2018.

“I fired my campaign manager,” explains Svitavsky. “He ran the Twitter account. I never had a lot to do with it.”

Svitavsky says David Moore, a North Carolina man who claimed to represent a group called “Organizing for Democrats,” approached him about managing the campaign.

“He did do a hell of a job of attracting national attention for my campaign,” Svitavsky says. “He arranged a lot of interviews. But I think he was playing me.”

During a face-to-face meeting about two weeks ago, according to Svitavsky, Moore laid out a plan for a “dirty campaign.” The Twitter account, presumably authored by Moore, bears that out; it refers to Sanders as a “commie,” a fraudster, even a pedophile.

“I told him, ‘I’m Andy Griffith. I want to run a clean campaign,” Svitavsky says.

The last straw came when Moore sent a contract for his services. “He wanted complete control over me and my campaign,” Svitavsky claims. He refused to sign. That’s when Moore apparently terminated the Twitter account.

The Organizing for Democrats Facebook page contains the post, “Organizing for Democrats withdraws support for the Jon Svitavsky for Senate campaign. All materials that are property of OFD, remain so, and are hereby closed. — Chairman, OFD-USA.”

Seven Days could not immediately reach OFD or Moore for comment.

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John Walters was the political columnist for Seven Days from 2017-2019. A longtime journalist, he spent many years as a news anchor and host for public radio stations in Michigan and New Hampshire. He’s the author of Roads Less Traveled: Visionary New...

6 replies on “Walters: Sanders Challenger Still In the Race”

  1. Jon Svitavsky is a joke without a punchline. His history is spotty at best, and his advocacy for the homeless sports a number of asterisks. Those with drinking, drug, or mental health issues need not apply. His chance of unseating Bernie is somewhere between zero and nil, and his desire for publicity seems to be the only reason he is in this.

  2. In the comments on their Facebook post, Organizing for Democrats expressed concern with some ugly comments Svitasky made towards minorities and members of the LGBTQ community. Perhaps they should do a better job of vetting their candidates next time.

  3. I am just glad someone is challenging Bernie. Now, to get a credible candidate into the race. If you know someone who is talented, committed to public service, has good moral character, cares about all members of society, including minority voices, and can stay calm while gramps regularly interrupts them to tell them they are wrong and he is right for months of “debate” without any facts behind his ideas, than please encourage them to run!

  5. Would LOVE to see sanders unseated..He needs to be GONE ASAP..Now that he’s a double or triple millionaire, now he’s going after the billionaires..So you millionaires here in Vermont can rest now..We needs new senators who care for Vermonters and our Veterans..as these 2 don’t especially the socialist one..

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