The hopeful buzz was still in the air at Bernie Sanders’ watch party in Midtown St. Louis until about 11:30 p.m., when the final numbers came in. Hillary Clinton had pulled ahead in the tight presidential primary race by 1,500 votes or 0.2 percent.
Someone at the party, hosted by Bootlegging BBQ, immediately cursed St. Charles County, but those residents were not to blame. St. Charles supported Sanders 55 percent to Clinton’s 45 percent.
It was St. Louis County and city – both which favored Clinton 55 percent to Sanders’ 44 percent – that finally pushed her over the top.
The Missouri Secretary of State said the results remain unofficial, and the certification process takes about four weeks.
Ferguson activist and minister Cori Bush, who is running for U.S. Senate in Missouri as a Democrat, watched the TV screens in disbelief.
“Everybody has worked so hard for Bernie,” she said. “I’ve seen the blood, sweat and tears. I’ve been to four rallies myself. You can’t tell me that we can’t take this. We want it so bad.”
After Clinton won all five states – Florida, Ohio, Illinois, North Carolina and Missouri – in the Super Tuesday elections, Sanders congratulated her. But he also tried to give hope to all those like Bush who were watching the results in utter disappointment.
“With more than half the delegates yet to be chosen and a calendar that favors us in the weeks and months to come, we remain confident that our campaign is on a path to win the nomination,” he said in a statement.
Possibly even more incredible than the nerve-racking election was the record-high voter turnout. Statewide, 38.86 percent or more than 1.5 million registered Missouri voters turned out – topping the previous 2008 presidential preference primary record of approximately 1.4 million votes and 36 percent turnout.
In St. Louis County and city, that percentage was even higher. In the city, 42.17 percent of residents cast their ballots, totaling 76,729 votes. And in St. Louis County, 45.8 percent of residents or 296,480 voted – beating out the county’s 2008 primary record of 43 percent turnout. The city’s 2008 turnout was 42.97 percent.
“Tuesday’s turnout shows Missourians are more engaged than ever and they are excited to participate in their democracy,” said Adam Kustra, Missouri political director for the Sanders campaign. “Senator Sanders message of a political revolution will continue to push citizens to stay involved not just in the presidential race, but in elections up and down the ballots for years to come.”
Ferguson activist and state representative hopeful Bruce Franks Jr. told the crowd that Sanders has ignited a fire among people who thought they didn’t have a place in “establishment politics.”
“I never thought a little black kid from South Side St. Louis would be running for state representative,” Franks said in a speech after the final numbers came in. “It’s candidates like Bernie who encourage candidates like us in our local elections to get up there and run.”
St. Louis Alderwoman Megan Ellyia Green of the 15th Ward said she decided to run for office for the same reason many are supporting Sanders.
“We feel like the establishment isn’t working for us,” she said in her midnight speech. “We have a responsibility to keep this going. This revolution does not stop in Missouri, it does not stop next week, it does not stop next year.”
Both Green and Franks spoke at recent rallies in the area, where Sanders’ usual talking points on a “rigged economy” and a “corrupt campaign contribution system” riled up the crowds. When his campaign started 10 months ago, he trailed Clinton by about 70 percent in national polls.
“I think what this campaign is about in its deepest sense is asking the American people to think outside of the box and think outside of the options that the Congress and the corporate media ask you to choose,” Sanders said at a campaign rally at Affton High School on Sunday, March 13.
He said he envisions a government that works for everyone – not just the top one-tenth percent who own almost as much wealth as the bottom ninety percent. That message especially resonated strongly with activists who are pushing for higher minimum wages.
Also, a large number of his supporters at Tuesday night’s watch party – who were also the volunteers knocking on doors and making phone calls – have been active in the Ferguson movement. His statements on fair policing have not gone unnoticed locally.
“When we talk about criminal justice reform, if a police officer breaks the law, like any other public official, that officer must be held accountable,” Sanders said at the Affton rally.
Supporters often cite Sanders’ integrity. On Super Tuesday, the Art Bar on Cherokee Street offered a free beer and a grilled cheese and bologna sandwich for anyone who came in with an “I Voted Today” sticker.
One man in his 30s, who was enjoying the voting bonus, said he hadn’t voted in years because he has lost faith in the political system.
“But it felt really good to vote for Bernie today,” he said, noting that he’s followed Sanders’ career for years. “He has a big heart and he’s honest, and that’s what we need right now.”
Follow this reporter on Twitter @RebeccaRivas.
