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."
 
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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.”

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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."


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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.

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