Canova: Waiting for Sanders to return my call

by Jordain Carney - 08/23/16 8:12 PM ET

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s (D-Fla.) primary challenger said he’s still waiting to hear back from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) about campaigning together ahead of next week’s primary election.

Tim Canova told “The Young Turks” on Tuesday that “it is a bit disappointing” that Sanders, who has endorsed the law school professor, hasn’t campaigned with him.

{mosads}”I’m waiting for Bernie to return my call, and not just Bernie, a couple people very high up in his camp,” he said. “We are hoping that the Sanders campaign does still come through, that Bernie comes through, and makes an appearance for us or at the very least helps us raise some more money during such a critical period down the home stretch.”

Sanders, a former presidential contender, told USA Today earlier this year that he might campaign with Canova as the Democrat tries to unseat Wasserman Schultz, the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee Sanders repeatedly criticized through the presidential primary.

Canova said Tuesday he wasn’t “quite sure why [Sanders] backed off” but floated that he could be following advice from Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

“It might be pressure from the Clinton camp,” he added. “It might be that he’s put his faith and trust in some folks around him who have been negotiating with the Clinton camp and for some reason thought ours was a race to sacrifice.”

Clinton has endorsed Wasserman Schultz, and campaigned with her in Florida earlier this month.

Sanders has helped raise money for Canova, a move that the congressional challenger said Tuesday also “galvanized the establishment” and boosted super-PAC funding for Wasserman Schultz.

“This is ground zero for the revolution he’s been calling for,” Canova said. “While he has done some fundraising emails, you know, all I can say is it’s been eight months where I’ve been putting it all on the line and contributing to his campaign for much of the past year and speaking up for him.”

A South Florida Sun Sentinel/Florida Atlantic University poll released Sunday showed Canova trailing Wasserman Schultz by 10 points, a 5-point margin of error.

Tags Bernie Sanders Hillary Clinton