Efforts to Encourage Sanders to Run

On Dec. 3, 2018 Sanders supporters launched Organizing for Bernie "to recruit Senator Bernie Sanders as a presidential candidate in the 2020 Democratic Primary and lay the groundwork for a successful campaign operation."  Organizing for Bernie in coordination with other groups led the effort to hold house parties around the country on Jan. 12, 2019 as well ad a weekend of action on Jan. 26 and 27, 2019.
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Progressive Democrats of America

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Jan 30, 2019

GRASSROOTS TO SANDERS: RUN, BERNIE, RUN

Weekend Of Action Spurs Increased Support For A Sanders Presidential Candidacy

DENVER, Colo. January 30, 2019 ― In a show of solidarity and readiness, hundreds of volunteer-hosted events brought Americans together across the country last weekend to discuss how they can volunteer and organize around a Bernie Sanders presidential run.

Leading progressive organizations including Our Revolution, Progressive Democrats of America, The People for Bernie Sanders, Sanders for President and Digital Left joined Organizing for Bernie in setting up volunteer-led events on January 26 and 27, 2019.

“All social justice movements have come out of people gathering in small groups, telling their life stories, discovering that other people have shared similar experiences and taking action. That was our goal and I’m personally overwhelmed with hope after seeing the response and creativity of participants around the country,” said Amanda Robertson, a South Carolina activist and Digital Campaign Manager with Digital Left.

The Weekend of Action events brought people of all ages together to have frank conversations about the future of America. On Saturday, the hashtag #Bernie2020 dominated Twitter nationally for a few hours, as supporters across the country voiced their support online. Volunteers at on-the-ground events saw the same enthusiasm.

“Los Angeles Berners were organizing to #RUNBERNIERUN! The Bernie’s Coffee Shop Team hit the streets with petitions in hand to record supporters asking Senator Sanders to run for President. We’re ready to get to work,” said Allie White, volunteer host and community organizer.
Renewed anticipation for Senator Sanders’ candidacy announcement hit fever pitch as news leaked that the Vermont Senator may publicly declare his intention to run for the White House as early as this week.

“Bernie Sanders has been standing up for the working class, for social justice, for economic and environmental integrity for decades,” said Ceci Hall, Managing Director at Organizing for Bernie and former Director of Volunteer Engagement for the Bernie 2016 presidential campaign. “He has said that if he has grassroots support, he will run. What people showed last weekend and over the past couple weeks is that Bernie has an army-in-waiting.”

Organizing for Bernie
January 20, 2019

“It starts with a conversation” Sanders 2020 Supporters plan for National Weekend of Action January 26 and 27

DENVER, Colo. January 20, 2019— Organizing for Bernie, a grassroots movement asking Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to run for president in 2020, continues the momentum from the national livestream on January 12th by organizing a national Weekend of Action January 26 & 27 with a coalition of leading progressive organizations including Our Revolution, Progressive Democrats of America and The People for Bernie Sanders. On January 26 & 27, volunteers from all over the country will be hosting events to engage more people and gain more supporters in a focused large scale effort to draft Sen. Sanders.

It is even more apparent with the government partial shutdown for a record 30 days, that this country cannot endure another term of the current Trump led administration, and that Sen. Sanders is the best candidate to restore unity to the United States

During this weekend of action, volunteer led events will be engaged in discussions about what people want to see in presidential candidates in 2020..  The goal is to bring this conversation to communities through high traffic canvassing or inviting more people to the conversation by hosting open events.  Supporters are encouraged to take part in the weekend of action by going to orgforbernie.com/weekend-of-action

 

“I’m eager to talk to people in my community next weekend about the important role we have this year,” said Dulce Anayasaenz, Co-founder of Organizing for Bernie and former WA & CO State Director on Bernie 2016. “The 2020 election will be a platform for bold leaders to offer an alternative to the current administration and an opportunity for us as voters to vote for candidates that we believe are most aligned with our values and vision for America. Sen. Sanders is the people’s champion we need in the White House, and I’m ready to discuss that with my friends, neighbors, and new people I meet.”

“It’s up to us to organize in our community and invite people into this movement for Medicare for all, tuition free college, abolish ICE, end mass incarceration, end prohibition and pass cannabis legalization. We can have a future to believe in but it’s incumbent on us to bring the momentum to this campaign. We are the campaign.” – Kat Brezler public school teacher and co-founder of The People for Bernie Sanders.

Organizing for Bernie is a people-powered volunteer organization comprised of former volunteers, delegates and staff from the Bernie 2016 campaign with a shared mission to lay the groundwork for 2020 should Senator Bernie Sanders announce he is running for President of the United States. Sen. Sanders fueled a political revolution by running for President in 2016.  We’re asking him to see it through in 2020 and we’re ready to help him take back the White House.



Our Revolution
14th January, 2019

Thousands Attend Organizing Events Urging Sanders to Run in 2020

DENVER, Colo. (January 14, 2019)—Thousands of excited voters came together for a nationwide event Saturday urging Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to run for President in 2020. Attendees of the over 400 house parties tuned in to a livestream to hear from key movement activists on why they support Sen. Sanders The event was organized by Organizing for Bernie, in partnership with The People for Bernie Sanders, and was co-sponsored by Our Revolution and Progressive Democrats of America.

The livestream has been viewed over 140,000 times, and featured former surrogates, staff members, and supporters of Sen. Sanders, including:

    • Sen. Nina Turner, President of Our Revolution
    • RoseAnn DeMoro, former Executive Director of National Nurses United and of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee
    • Cori Bush, former congressional candidate for Missouri’s 1st Congressional District
    • Kat Brezler, The People for Bernie Sanders Digital Director
    • Roy Tatem, former Deputy Director of African American Outreach, Bernie 2016
    • Sheila Healy, former Field Director, Bernie for Senate 2018
    • Belen Sisa, Board Member of Progressive Democrats of America

“We are better and stronger when we come together for causes that are bigger and greater than ourselves,” said Sen. Nina Turner, adding “that is what this Run Bernie Run effort is all about.”

When discussing why she’s asking Senator Sanders to run in 2020, RoseAnn Demoro said “he’s giving his life, if he does this, to change this country and to change the world.”

Following the livestream, attendees of the over 400 house parties, which occured in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and four other countries, discussed how they can begin to build a campaign-in-waiting for Senator Sanders. Organizing for Bernie encourages all of its supporters to  sign the petition asking Senator Sanders to run, and plans to host a local organizing event for a  national weekend of action on January 26 and 27.

Our Revolution
11th January, 2019

Sanders 2020 Supporters To Host Over 400 House Parties in All 50 States

DENVER, Colo. (January 11, 2019)—Grassroots supporters across the country have started organizing for a potential presidential run by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), with over 400 house parties planned on Saturday, Jan. 12 at 4 PM ET. The house parties will occur in all 50 states, as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, the Bahamas, and Austria.

The events were registered through Organizing for Bernie, a grassroots movement to encourage Sen. Sanders to run for president in 2020, in partnership with The People for Bernie Sanders, and is co-sponsored by Our Revolution, Progressive Democrats of America.

Attendees of the over 400 house parties will join a livestream conversation from key movement activists, who will discuss why Sen. Sanders is the best candidate to combat climate change, fight for working families, and beat Donald Trump. Following that conversation, organizers will lay out plans for grassroots activists to get to work building a campaign-in-waiting, should Sen. Sanders decide to run in 2020.

Speakers on the livestream include:

    • Cori Bush, former congressional candidate for Missouri’s 1st Congressional District
    • Kat Brezler, The People for Bernie Sanders Digital Director
    • Roy Tatem, former National Deputy Director of National African American Outreach, Bernie 2016
    • Sheila Healey, former Field Director, Bernie for Senate 2018
"We look forward to Saturday's events and rallying our movement to lay the foundation for a Sanders 2020 campaign”, said Heather Gautney, Executive Director of Our Revolution. “Our Revolution members and our 600 local groups have been organizing in their communities for over two years around issues like Medicare for All, a $15 minimum wage, free public higher education, and getting big money out of politics. We're ready to use that experience to organize for Sen. Sanders should he decide to run for president."

“Saturday is going to be a big day in our progressive movement,” said Spencer Carnes, co-founder of Organizing for Bernie, and a former organizer on the Bernie 2016 campaign. “Since he launched his first presidential campaign in 2015, Bernie has always said this movement is about the people, and the ideas we fight for. Since then, millions of people have answered the call to action, and have elected new leaders at all levels of government. Saturday is the next step in our political revolution.”

Organizers are urging volunteers to find their closest event online and host events in their communities.
Organizing for Bernie
January 9, 2019

Organizing for Bernie Announces More than 375 Events to Build Massive Campaign-In-Waiting for Sanders

DENVER, Colo. (January 9, 2019) — Organizing for Bernie, a grassroots movement to encourage Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to run for president in 2020, announced it is partnering with The People for Bernie Sanders to host a multi-city, multi-country livestream event this Saturday, January 12. The event is co-sponsored by Our Revolution and Progressive Democrats of America, and will be livestreamed on Facebook by Act.Tv. Key movement activists will be joining as speakers, from different parts of the country for this national event.

Over 3,000 Bernie supporters have RSVP’d to the close to 400 confirmed simultaneous house parties in four different countries.

“This is what a political revolution looks like,” said Mandy Nunes Hennessey, a co-founder of Organizing for Bernie, who served as the Colorado state Caucus and Delegate Director for Sanders in 2016. “Bernie’s credibility with grassroots volunteers is unmatched and his supporters are urging him to run again.”

Last month, Sen. Sanders said grassroots support would determine whether or not he decides to run for president again:

“If, and that is an if, I do decide to run, we’re going to be taking on the pharmaceutical industry and the insurance industry, and Wall Street. And all of the powerful special interests who now control much of what goes on in Congress. So it’s not an easy decision, we gotta determine what kind of grassroots support exists, and that’s what we’re looking at right now.”

At the nearly 400 house parties planned on January 12, volunteers, grassroots leaders and campaign veterans will discuss what they’ve learned over the past two years. If Sen. Sanders announces his candidacy, Organizing for Bernie will immediately connect volunteers and supporters into the new Sanders campaign.

The events are in all 50 states, including critical early primary states such as New Hampshire and Iowa as well as large states like California and Texas, which have moved their primaries up to Super Tuesday.

The organization is urging supporters to find their closest event on January 12 and RSVP. If people don’t see an event in their area, organizers are standing by to help them host.

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Organizing for Bernie is a people-powered political action committee that is organizing a campaign-in-waiting for Senator Bernie Sanders to run for president in 2020.


Dec. 3, 2018 - Organizing for Bernie Launches

"Organizing for Bernie is a people-powered, volunteer campaign meant to recruit Senator Bernie Sanders as a presidential candidate in the 2020 Democratic Primary and lay the groundwork for a successful campaign operation. Since 2016, Bernie’s political revolution has continued to grow and fight for progressive values at every level of government. Now, it’s time to organize for Bernie!"