Bernie 2020
October 30, 2019
NEWS: Bernie 2020 Rolls Out New SC Endorsements
Newest
announcement
shows the growing momentum in South Carolina and across the country
COLUMBIA, SC – On the heels of Monday's announcement that one hundred
elected officials, activists and community leaders from across the
country have endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for President, Bernie 2020 is
keeping the momentum going today by unveiling several new endorsements
in South Carolina.
Those endorsements include Beaufort County School Board Member William
Smith, Georgetown City Councilman Tupelo Humes, SCDP Executive
Committee Member Marcurius Byrd, USW Local 7898 President James
Sanderson, Jr and Rosemont Neighborhood President Nancy Button.
“These endorsements prove that the momentum were seeing here in South
Carolina and across the nation is real,” said Bernie 2020 SC State
Director Kwadjo Campbell. “We’re honored to have these local leaders
join the team and we’re excited about what the future has in store as
we pick up steam heading toward Election Day.”
Councilman Tupelo Humes
Member, Georgetown City Council
"Whether being arrested while protesting segregated housing in Chicago
or standing shoulder to shoulder on the picket line with workers
fighting for an honest day’s pay, Bernie Sanders doesn’t just talk
about change - he takes action. He shows us again and again that we
don’t have to stand alone against the big donors and the company men
because he stands with us.
"That’s why he’s been able to break millions of dollars from small
donors alone. That’s why he has the largest network of grassroots
volunteers in the race. That’s why he repeatedly beats Donald Trump in
battleground states across America and that’s why he has my full
support.
"The same old politicians singing the same old song won’t win in 2020.
Bernie Sanders will."
William Smith
Member (District 3), Beaufort County
Board of Education
"Growing up the son of a single mother, I learned early on that life
wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that we struggled with poverty though my
mother worked every second she could. It wasn’t fair that I started
school behind because we couldn’t afford Pre-K. It wasn’t fair that
every step was harder the people with the power to do something didn’t
care enough to use it.
"But when Sen. Bernie Sanders visited my community, I finally saw a
leader willing to fight for me. And it wasn’t just talk. He’d actually
done it. He doesn’t send excuses or empty promises, he stands with us
in the trenches. He marches with us on the picket lines. So when he
talks about doubling teacher salaries and Medicare for All, you know he
means it.
"Let me be clear: Bernie Sanders is the only candidate truly standing
up for me and my community. That’s why I’m standing with him."
Marcurius Byrd
Executive Committee Member, SC
Democratic Party
"The simple truth is that issues like climate change, Medicare for All,
raising the minimum wage to $15 and ending the War on Drugs are only in
the political mainstream today because of Sen. Bernie Sanders. From day
one, he’s been leading the fight and standing up for working families
whether it was popular or not.
"That’s the kind of courage we need in the White House and that’s why
I’m proud to support Sen. Bernie Sanders for President of the United
States of America."
James E. Sanderson, Jr.
President and Unit Chair, USW Local
7898
"From taking on big corporations like Amazon and Walmart to announcing
the most forward-thinking workplace democracy plan in generations,
Bernie Sanders has always fought for workers and union members across
the country.
"More importantly, by joining auto workers on the picket line as they
fight for fair wages and treatment, he shows us again that he’s willing
to walk the walk. By consistently putting himself on the picket
line, he’s made solidarity with the working class a requirement
of all candidates.
"Others may talk about working families but Bernie Sanders takes
action. That’s why I am proud to support him for President of the
United States."
Nancy Button
President, Rosemont Neighborhood
Council
"For me and the folks in my community, healthcare is the number one
issue. We need someone who will stand up to the insurance and
pharmaceutical industries. We need someone who will make sure every
American gets to see a doctor when they’re sick. We need someone who
will stand up for the working folks in my neighborhood.
"That someone is Sen. Bernie Sanders."
###
Bernie
2020
June 10, 2019
Contact:
Michael Wukela
NEWS: Support for Sanders in SC
Continues to Grow
SC Rep.
Michael Rivers endorses Sanders, adding to growing momentum.
BEAUFORT, SC – Less than a week after a major endorsement from
Rep. Leon Howard, the
momentum surrounding Bernie 2020 continues to grow with the
announcement that South Carolina State Representative Michael Rivers
has joined the list of state leaders publicly supporting Sen. Bernie
Sanders.
“From
education to the environment, Rep. Rivers has proven himself time and
again to be a tireless advocate for the people of his district and for
all South Carolinians,” said Bernie 2020 SC State Director Kwadjo
Campbell. “No matter the issue, he fights for what is best in all of us
and his willingness to fight for Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks volumes
about our candidate and this campaign. We are proud to have his
support.”
Elected to the SC House of
Representatives in 2016, Rivers recently co-sponsored legislation to
ban seismic testing and drilling off South Carolina’s coast as well as
legislation to establish the state’s first hate crime law.
Representing
District 121, which includes parts of Beaufort and Colleton Counties,
Rivers previously served 18 years on the Beaufort County School Board
and is a veteran of the United States Air Force.
Rep. Rivers is the latest in a string of state and local leaders to
publicly endorse Sanders including:
- SC Rep. Leon Howard
- SC Rep. Krystle
Simmons
- SC Rep. Ivory
Thigpen
- SC Rep. Justin
Bamberg
- SC Rep. Wendell
Gilliard
- SC Rep. Terry
Alexander
- SC Rep. Shedron
Williams
- SC Rep. Cezar
McKnight
- Councilwoman
Dorothy Williams - North Charleston City Council
- Councilman Sam Hart
- North Charleston City Council
- Councilwoman
Wilhelmina Peguese - Bennettsville City Council
- Councilwoman Elaine
Reed - Darlington City Council
- Councilwoman Sheila
Baccus - Darlington City Council
- Councilman Willie
Gladden - Marlboro County Council
- Mr. Randolph Walker
- Member, Georgetown County School Board
- Ms. Cynthia
Leggette - Chair, Marion County School Board
- Stevenson Pierre -
Immediate Past President, Cheraw NAACP
- Donna DeWitt
- President Emeritus, South Carolina AFL-CIO
- Pastor Eddie Massey
- Mal Hyman - former
Democratic Congressional Nominee, SC-7
SC State Representative Michael Rivers
(District 121):
“Senator
Sanders’ commitment to key policies that protect and seek justice for
all people is exactly what our nation and state need at this critical
moment in time. That’s why I am proud to endorse Senator Sanders and
stand with him on our shared, life-long commitment to fighting for
civil rights and economic justice.”
###
Bernie
2020
June 6, 2019
Contact:
Michael Wukela
NEWS: SC Rep. Leon Howard Endorses Sanders
Rep.
Howard joins growing list of SC leaders supporting Sanders.
COLUMBIA, SC – In the latest in a string
of announcements highlighting growing momentum in South Carolina, Sen.
Bernie Sanders’ campaign today announced a major endorsement from SC
State Representative Leon Howard.
With more than eight months before South Carolina’s “First in the
South” primary, Rep. Howard joins a growing list of elected officials
and local leaders in the state who have publicly endorsed Sen. Sanders
and his campaign. In fact, Sen. Sanders’ public support among state and
local elected officials alone has more than doubled since April.
“We’re very excited to have Rep. Howard’s support,” said Bernie 2020 SC
State Director Kwadjo Campbell. “He is a trailblazer and a fearless
fighter for working families across South Carolina, particularly with
regard to making quality healthcare affordable and accessible to all.”
Having served in the SC House of Representatives since 1995, Rep.
Howard is the senior member of Richland County’s House Delegation. He
also chairs the prestigious House “3M” (Medical, Military, Public and
Municipal Affairs) Committee and is the only African-American to chair
a standing committee in the state legislature.
SC State Representative Leon Howard
(District 76):
“In this country,
especially in this state which has not expanded Medicaid, we need to
prioritize what’s really important.
“Healthcare is a
right! If you work all your life and can’t afford to get proper medical
and dental care, that says something is very wrong with our society.
"I support Medicare for All and I support Bernie Sanders for President."
###
Bernie
2020
April 18, 2019
Bernie 2020 Rolls Out First South
Carolina Endorsements
Ahead
of
his
second
visit
to
the
state
since launching his presidential
campaign, Sanders announces a slate of endorsements from elected
officials, labor, and faith leaders
SPARTANBURG,
S.C.
--
As
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders visits South Carolina, Bernie 2020
announces a slate of endorsements from elected officials and faith
and
labor leaders from across the Palmetto State. The endorsements,
announced more than ten months before the state’s primary, demonstrate
the growing support for Sanders’ presidential run.
Bernie 2020
South Carolina State Director, Kwadjo Campbell, who served for eight
years on the Charleston City Council and brings over twenty years of
experience in community and political organizing to Sanders’ South
Carolina operation, said:
“We’re proud to have the endorsement
of some of South Carolina’s most distinguished elected officials,
labor, and faith leaders. With their support, and the support of
thousands of volunteers across the state, our campaign is building a
grassroots movement that will fundamentally transform this country."
The
slate of endorsements includes:
- State
Representative
Krystle
Simmons:
“Bernie
Sanders
is
a
champion for women's rights and has been rocking with
middle class and minority communities since before he was popular. What
he did back then matters just as much as it does now,” Rep. Simmons
said. “Integrity is not who you are when the cameras are rolling, but
who you are when they're not. I said it before and I'll say it again:
"you do not have to be poor to be relatable, you simply need to be
authentic.” Bernie is and has been that. That's why I'm supporting him
for President in 2020.”
Simmons
represents
the
people
of the 117th State House District. In 2018 she
was the first African-American elected to represent the Lowcountry in
the State House. Rep. Simmons is a single mother of five children and
has been a long time advocate for improving South Carolina’s broken
education system
- Donna
DeWitt,
South
Carolina AFL-CIO President Emeritus:
“Bernie
Sanders
has
been
consistent on the issues throughout his career and
life. He presents a positive message for a future that includes all
people,” DeWitt said. “As I have watched him, with young people in
particular, I think of him carrying out the words of one of my favorite
quotes from Eleanor Roosevelt, ‘The future belongs to those who believe
in the beauty of their dreams.’ With Bernie's experience, I know he
will be inclusive and bring the many people of our country together,
fulfilling a dream for so many.”
DeWitt
is
a
long-time labor leader in South Carolina, serving as the South
Carolina President of the AFL-CIO from 1996 to 2012.
- Reverend
and
State
Representative
Ivory
Thigpen:
“I
support Sen. Sanders because of his willingness to engage the religious
left and to fight for the issues we hold dear to our hearts,” said Rev.
Rep. Ivory Thigpen. “The religious right has used politics to drive
their agenda, and the time has come to organize around an agenda driven
by compassion. Compassion in health care, the criminal justice system,
and economic justice.”
Thigpen
serves
as
the
Senior Pastor of Rehoboth Baptist Church in Columbia. He
also sits on the Executive Committee of the National Baptist
Convention, making him the youngest appointee to this prestigious board
of clergy. Rev. Rep. Thigpen has represented the people of 79th State
House District since 2016.
- State
Representative
Justin
Bamberg:
“I
stand
with
Senator
Bernie Sanders today as I stood with him boldly in
2016. His vision for our country has pushed the moral compass of our
citizens, our legislators, and even the presidential candidates who now
are emboldened by his policies,” said Rep. Bamberg. “More Americans
support a living wage, Medicare For All, and free college tuition than
ever before. Senator Sanders was one of the first to push for these
policies, and I am ready to help him reach the finish line to make it a
reality for all Americans."
Bamberg
has
represented
the
people of the 90th State House District since 2015.
Additionally, Rep. Bamberg is a trial lawyer at Bamberg Legal, LLC,
where he has sought justice for the families of victims of law
enforcement shooting.
- State
Representative
Wendell
Gilliard:
“I
have been with Senator Sanders since 2016. I stand with Bernie because
he stands for Justice. Economic Justice in the face of
institutionalized racism. He is not afraid to take on the big
corporations and banks. The platform speaks to my constituents more
than any other. We need real change, not gradual,” Rep. Gilliard said.
“We need to elect someone who is going to not only undo what this
President has done, but one that will set us on a course to build an
America where everyone has health care, a living wage, and is treated
like a human being. That someone is Sen. Bernie Sanders. Welcome to the
People’s Revolution.”
Gilliard
represents
the
people
of the 111th House District. In addition to
serving in the State House, Rep. Gilliard has been a longtime labor
leader, serving for fifteen years as the president of the United
Steelworkers Local 863.
- Reverend
and
State
Representative
Terry
Alexander:
“I
support
Sen.
Sanders,
because I believe in his positions that will move
this country forward. Now, Americans agree with these policies,” Rep.
Alexander said. “His openness to change, his progressive stance on
issues that impact so many people; this is why I was one of the first
legislators in South Carolina to endorse him in 2016 and am doing so
this year so that we can finish what he started many years ago.”
Alexander
has
represented
the
people of the 59th State House District since 2006.
While in office, Rep. Alexander has worked tirelessly to protect the
right to vote, ensure all South Carolinians have health care, and bring
more jobs and economic opportunities to his district.
- State
Rep.
Shedron
Williams:
“As
we move forward into the 2020 Presidential race, some of my
constituents feel that Sen. Bernie Sanders has a great platform dealing
with all education free or at an adequate cost as well as Medicare for
All. These components would create a better way of life here in the
great state of South Carolina,” Rep. Williams said.
Williams
has
represented
the
people of the 122nd State House District since
2018. Before being elected to the State House, Rep. Williams served as
Chairman of the Hampton County Council, as the first African American
to ever hold the position.
- State
Representative
Cezar
McKnight:
“My
district and Americans throughout the country are looking for a
candidate who has a strong commitment to social change and has a clear
understanding of the institutional barriers that people face,” Rep.
McKnight said. “I support Sen. Sanders because he speaks to the heart
and moral compass of the issues. This level of understanding has
propelled issues such as a living wage and Medicare for All to the
national stage and has galvanized millions of Americans.”
McKnight
has
represented
the
people of the 101st State House District since
2014. While serving in the State House, Rep. McKnight proudly supported
the South Carolina legislature’s efforts to unify the state by removing
the Confederate flag at the capitol building in the wake of the 2015
Emanuel AME massacre in Charleston. Rep. McKnight also served in the
Army Reserves from 1991-99.
###