NC State student volunteers are now organizing and “Bernstorming” for the Bernie Sanders campaign to kick off the campaign’s expansion into North Carolina ahead of the March 15 primary. While the campaign had been focused on early primary states, the results of Iowa and New Hampshire have required them to look ahead to March primaries, where North Carolina will be a battleground between Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.
The volunteers outline the Sanders campaign’s strategy moving forward in North Carolina and highlight the importance of volunteer phone bankers and canvassers to help get the word out about Sanders.
“We do not have super PAC money, so we rely on volunteers to get the message out there,” said Masha Mendieta, the campaign’s national strategist for Latino outreach.
Sanders has distinguished himself from Clinton and the rest of the field by being the only candidate without a super PAC, relying instead on small donations from more than 3.7 million contributions. Rather than hiring many paid staffers like other campaigns, Sanders relies on volunteers to make calls to voters and spread his message. The “Bernstorm” serves as a call to action for volunteers to host phone banking events and meet fellow supporters.
Andrew Arden, president of Feel the Bern at NC State and a sophomore studying psychology, said the club is currently focusing on reaching out to Latino organizations on campus, and will work to promote Sanders’ ideas to the Latino community on campus. Arden stressed the relevance of Bernie Sanders’ platform to college students, including implementing a $15 minimum wage, offering free public college, comprehensive single-payer healthcare and reducing carbon emissions.
“To make the changes our country needs, you have to think big,” Arden said. “We will get Bernie Sanders elected, we will help elect a congress that better represents the people, we will help involve young people in the political process who have never been involved before.”
Aisha Dew, North Carolina state director for the campaign, highlighted the importance of college student involvement in phone banking and activism.
“Given that Sen. Sanders resonates with so many younger voters, it is important for college students to get involved,” Dew said.
She encouraged college students interested in Bernie Sanders to get involved with the College Students for Bernie group and “Feel the Bern @ NC State” Facebook page to volunteer at campaign events. “Feel the Bern @ NC State” has been hosting phone banking events on campus since mid-October. College Students for Bernie has been organized at 10 different schools in North Carolina so far.
While calls have primarily been made in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, the campaign has recently begun calling March primary states such as North Carolina, Colorado, Minnesota and Texas. The campaign has also added a Spanish-speaking option for phone bankers to help reach the Latino community.
“Spanish phone banking will be very important moving forward in western states and in Latino populations,” Mendieta said.
She explained that the Latino, primarily-Spanish communities present a challenge for the campaign, so bilingual volunteers are an important element of the campaign strategy in this demographic.
Other “Bernstorming” events have taken place in North Carolina, like when organizers rallied in Charlotte earlier this week. According to Mendieta, the response from North Carolinians has been especially enthusiastic, and she is surprised at how mixed the crowds have been.
“Every type of demographic is represented,” she said.
The campaign focuses on spreading volunteers and the campaign’s ground game all over the state, as most democratic voters in North Carolina are concentrated in cities such as Raleigh, Charlotte and Asheville. Organizers stressed the importance of volunteering with campaign, but Mendieta said the key to winning in the state “more than anything, is about voter turnout.”
Dew highlighted the importance of the college student vote.
“College students always play a huge role when they decide to participate and can change the tide of an election,” Dew said.
Dew explained how college students can play a role in Sanders’ message and election by attending a phone banking event with “Feel the Bern @ NC State,” finding a volunteer event at berniesanders.com or by helping at the campaign office opening soon in downtown Raleigh.
According to the most recent High Point poll, Clinton currently leads Sanders by 26 points in North Carolina.
