Our Revolution: What's Next on Bernie Sanders' Horizon

The next phase of Bernie Sanders' political revolution starts now.

The Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. senator, who endorsed one-time rival and presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, told USA Today in an exclusive interview published Friday that he plans "to launch educational and political organizations within the next few weeks to keep his progressive movement alive."

Additionally, according to the newspaper:

Sanders plans to support at least 100 candidates running for a wide range of public offices--from local school boards to Congress--at least through the 2016 elections. And he'll continue to raise funds for candidates while campaigning for them all over the country. He said he probably will campaign for Tim Canova, a progressive primary challenger to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, who chairs the Democratic National Committee.

These efforts will be organized under the new Sanders Institute; the Our Revolution political group; and a third organization that USA Today writes, "may play a more direct role in campaign advertising."

USA Today reports:

The Sanders Institute will focus on elevating issues and ideas--through media and documentaries--that Sanders said the "corporate media" fails to focus on, including the disappearing middle class, "massive" income inequality, horrific levels of poverty and problems affecting seniors and children.

Jane Sanders, Sanders' wife and political adviser, said the organization will help address issues that came into sharp focus on the campaign trail, such as "heartbreaking" issues facing Native Americans, and possible solutions the campaign discovered to address their health care needs.

"It would be ridiculous for us to learn and not convey that information," she said.

Former Sanders aide and deputy senior advisor to his campaign Shannon Jackson will head up Our Revolution.

Sanders told the paper: "If we are successful, what it will mean is that the progressive message and the issues that I campaigned on will be increasingly spread throughout this country. The goal here is to do what I think the Democratic establishment has not been very effective in doing. And that is at the grassroots level, encourage people to get involved, give them the tools they need to win, help them financially."

Sanders' statements are in keeping with a lengthy email he sent to supporters following Tuesday's announcement, in which he declared:

In the coming weeks, I will be announcing the creation of successor organizations to carry on the struggle that we have been a part of these past 15 months. I hope you will continue to be involved in fighting to transform America. Our goal will be to advance the progressive agenda that we believe in and to elect like-minded candidates at the federal, state and local levels who are committed to accomplishing our goals.

Meanwhile, as Clare Foran reported Thursday for The Atlantic, "Sanders supporters are also actively working to carry on the revolution. Brand New Congress is one example."

However, she said, "all this points to a central tension of the Sanders campaign. Sure, Bernie said it wasn't about him. But for so many of his loyal followers, he has been the source of inspiration for political engagement. Sanders is poised to continue agitating for a revolution. But it remains to be seen how much the so-called revolution's energy and enthusiasm can be sustained once the campaign has reached an end."

St. Martin's Press also announced Thursday that the democratic socialist is writing a book--Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In--to be published November 15, 2016, one week after the general election.