Bakari Sellers on 2026 Midterm Elections

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Bakari Sellers

Role at the time: CNN political commentator and former South Carolina state representative, speaking as a panelist; not a DSCC official

August 19, 2026Defended or excused

Response to this claim

Bakari Sellers said on CNN on August 19, 2026 that Democrats will not be wasting money in Florida now because it is a Senate seat Democrats were not going to win, and that the money will go instead to states such as North Carolina, Ohio and possibly Iowa.

“We won't be wasting money in Florida now. We were going to be spending tons of money on a Senate seat that we were not going to win in Vindman instead of spending money in North Carolina and Ohio and maybe even Iowa, Senate seats we can win and now you're going to see that money not go to Florida.”

Read the original textThe Arena with Kasie Hunt, August 19, 2026 (CNN transcript) · CNNBakari Sellers's answer to Kasie Hunt's question about applying the Florida results, and Marc Caputo's follow-up on television costs

CNN transcript of the program aired Wednesday, August 19, 2026, from 4 to 5 p.m. ET, the day after Nixon's primary win. Sellers, a CNN political commentator, speaks as a panelist. Marc Caputo of Axios adds that Florida has 10 television markets and that a saturation ad campaign costs about $3 million a week.

Why we used this label

Sellers gives winnability as the reason, saying Florida was not a seat Democrats could win even with Vindman, and he welcomes the money going elsewhere. That is a reason other than Nixon's ideology or identity, and it argues the allocation is justified, so we labeled it Defends or excuses. He describes what he expects Democrats to do and does not cite a DSCC decision.

Read statement Are national Democrats holding back money from Angie Nixon's Florida Senate campaign because of her ideology and identity?

Bakari Sellers on 2026 Midterm Elections

Statement history