Bernie 2020
February 1, 2020
Contact: Roger Ouellette

NEWS: State Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad Endorses Sen. Bernie Sanders

Sanders “Closest To My Passion For Justice In The World”

DES MOINES -- State Representative Ako Abdul-Samad, a leading progressive voice in Iowa, on Friday announced his endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders for president.

“The candidate that resonated with me and that has come closest to my passion for justice in the world is Sen. Bernie Sanders,” said Rep. Abdul-Samad. “I look forward to working with the Senator and the team to continue addressing the issues that are not only dividing us here in America, but in the world. The struggle is real. We can and must win!”

“It’s a tight race in Iowa, so are very excited about Rep. Ako’s endorsement,” Bernie 2020 Iowa State Director Misty Rebik said. “We look forward to continuing together in the struggle to change the system that’s failed the working class for generations.”

A life-long Des Moines resident, Rep. Abdul-Samad has spent decades building civic power in Polk County’s communities of color. He has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2007 and previously led the Des Moines School Board as vice-president. He founded the Creative Visions Human Development Institute and helps lead numerous youth and civic organizations in Des Moines.
 
###

Bernie 2020
January 20, 2020
Contact: Roger Ouellette

NEWS: Dionna Langford Joins Sanders Campaign as Iowa Co-Chair

Youngest Des Moines School Board Member Ever Elected Says Sanders “The Only Candidate Who Will Be Able to Defeat” Trump.

DES MOINES – Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign at Monday’s rally in Des Moines announced Dionna Langford as an Iowa campaign co-chair. Langford, the youngest  Des Moines School Board member in history, is featured in a new video launching today.

“When I first ran, I think my bank account may have been in the negative. I had no political experience. There’s a way that we say that you’re supposed to do politics: You sit down with these people, you have these conversations,” Langford says in the video. “One of the many things that has attracted me to Sen. Sanders campaign is our political system shouldn’t operate that way. It shouldn’t be for those who just have affluence, it shouldn’t be for those who are just well-connected.”

Langford became the youngest school board member in Des Moines history when she ran and won in 2014. Langford joins Linn County Supervisor Stacey Walker, LULAC Iowa State Director Nick Salazar, State Rep. Jeff Kurtz, Former CCI President Barb Kalbach and Black Hawk County Supervisor Chris Schwartz as an Iowa campaign co-chair.

“We are thrilled to have Dionna’s voice out on the trail over the home stretch toward caucus night,” Bernie 2020 Iowa State Director Misty Rebik said. “Her leadership, her energy, and her direct experience of how establishment politics shuts out working-class people give her the kind of moral authority that is inspiring everyday Iowans to join our growing movement.”

The video was created entirely in-house by Sanders’ campaign and can be seen here. 

###

Bernie 2020
January 18, 2020
Contact: Roger Ouellette

NEWS: Iowa Postal Workers Local 44 Endorses Bernie Sanders 

DES MOINES -- Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign on Saturday announced the workers of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 44 in central Iowa have endorsed Sanders for president.
“Donald Trump wants to privatize the Postal Service and threaten over 630,000 jobs. That absolutely cannot happen,” said Sen. Sanders. “I’m proud to stand together with the postal workers of Local 44 as we fight to strengthen USPS, protect jobs and allow post offices to provide basic banking services.”
"Senator Bernie Sanders stands for the working class people of this country. He is a champion for postal workers against postal privatization which would lead to higher costs and less service. He will fight for postal banking that would bring in revenue to the Postal Service and stop the legalized loan sharking of check into cash and payday loans that feed on the working poor,” said DMI APWU LOCAL 44 President Mike Bates. “Senator Sanders is a proven leader -- he has our backs and we will have his back in this election. The DMI Area Local 44 of the American Postal Workers Union will do everything we can to elect Senator Bernie Sanders for President of the United States of America."
Local 44 members voted to endorse Sanders at their standing meeting this week in Des Moines. The union boasts a membership of over 700 in and around the greater Des Moines area. The APWU Local 44 endorsements adds to the more than 130 individual union worker endorsements already announced for Sen. Sanders in Iowa in 2019.
###

Bernie 2020
January 10, 2020
Contact: Roger Ouellette

NEWS: Former Iowa Democratic Party Chair Derek Eadon Endorses Bernie Sanders

Veteran Party Leader Became Ardent Medicare For All Advocate After Personal Health Care Battles

DES MOINES -- Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in Iowa on Friday announced former Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Derek Eadon has endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders and will serve as a state surrogate.

“Medicare for All is a moral and financial imperative for this state and this country,” Eadon said. “This idea that Democrats can’t aggressively advocate for Medicare for All and win elections at the same time is bogus. Senator Sanders’ unwavering support for Medicare for All is inspiring both party leaders and new activists across the country. We need ambitious ideas and a grassroots movement of everyday people to make government work for us again, and only Bernie Sanders is building the kind of energy and enthusiasm it will take to beat Donald Trump.”

Eadon was elected state party chairman at the start of 2017 but had to step down after being diagnosed with a debilitating nerve disease. Since that life-changing event, Eadon has become an ardent proponent of Medicare for All.

“Derek Eadon symbolizes what’s best about Iowans: Strength, conviction, and courage,” Bernie 2020 Iowa State Director Misty Rebik said. “When his health got in the way of his role with the state party, he went right back out knocking doors for Democrats as soon as he finished treatment. His passionate advocacy for Medicare for All, and now his endorsement of Sen. Sanders, shows how issues like universal health care, the Green New Deal, and College for All transcend party ideology.”

Eadon worked his way up through the IDP ranks for years before winning the 2017 chairman’s election. He was one of the first people hired by President Barack Obama's Iowa operation in 2007 and served as General Election Director during the 2012 campaign. In 2014,  he ran midwest organizing for Ready for Hillary and served as an advisor to Clinton’s Iowa campaign during the general election in 2016. He was previously National Deputy Campaign Manager for Julián Castro’s 2020 campaign.

Eadon will attend Sanders’ campaign events in Iowa this weekend.
 
###

Bernie 2020
January 3, 2020
Contact: Roger Ouellette

  NEWS: Sanders Campaign Names Black Hawk County Supervisor Chris Schwartz as Iowa Co-Chair

Prominent Progressive Representing Black Hawk County Announces New Role at Waterloo Event with Sen. Sanders

WATERLOO, Iowa – Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign on Friday in Waterloo named Black Hawk County Supervisor Chris Schwartz as an Iowa campaign co-chair.

“Bernie knows that even great ideas can only go so far without a mass movement behind them,” Schwartz said. “That’s why I’m proud to co-chair his Iowa campaign. He is the candidate who can generate the enthusiastic coalition required to beat Donald Trump, and the energetic activism required to push real change through Congress.”

“As the state director of American Democratic Action and of one of the first elected LGBTQ Iowans, Chris knows what it’s like to pioneer change in his community and is unafraid to take on tough fights,” Bernie 2020 Iowa State Director Misty Rebik said. “We are proud he will be putting in the hard work in living rooms and town hall meetings and rallies over the home stretch of the caucus, and helping us inspire and connect with the everyday Iowans who are ready to put a champion of the working class in the White House.”

Schwartz is the first openly gay elected in Black Hawk County history. He is also currently the State Director of American Democratic Action, which traces its roots back to Eleanor Roosevelt and the promise of the New Deal.

###

Bernie 2020
December 30, 2019
Contact: Roger Ouellette

NEWS: Sanders Campaign Announces Farmer, Nurse, and Activist Barb Kalbach as Iowa Campaign Co-Chair

DES MOINES – Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign on Monday named former Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) president, farmer and retired nurse Barb Kalbach as an Iowa campaign co-chair. Kalbach spoke at tonight’s town hall in Winterset in Madison County, Iowa.
“I have seen up close how Sen. Sanders listens and responds to the challenges facing Iowa and the rest of the country,” Kalbach said. “Bernie knows that one person alone cannot accomplish all that needs to be done. He is the only candidate who recognizes that he needs all of us working together in a grassroots movement. I look forward to helping lend a hand in this effort.”

“Barb’s lifetime of activism on the front lines of Iowa’s progressive movement makes her the perfect person to bring our campaign’s message to rural Iowans,” Bernie 2020 Iowa State Director Misty Rebik said. “As a family farmer and a nurse, Barb knows first-hand what’s at stake and she will help us engage with Iowans who have felt left out of our political process to drive us to victory on February 3rd.”

Kalbach is a fourth-generation family farmer from Adair County. On behalf of Iowa CCI, Kalbach organized a bus tour of factory farms in Iowa with Sen. Sanders and rural advocates earlier this year. Kalbach also worked in Madison County Hospital’s nursing units for years and has been a longtime advocate for universal health care in Iowa. 

###

Bernie 2020
December 6, 2019

NEWS: Youth Climate Activists Endorse Sanders

Video Endorsements Follow Sanders’ Address at Des Moines Youth Climate Strike

DES MOINES – Several leaders from U.S. Youth Climate Strike on Friday announced their support for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign for president. The video endorsements come after Sanders joined a youth climate strike in Des Moines.

“Young people all over the world, not just here in Iowa or in the United States, but all over the world are telling their leaders, ‘Hey, we want a planet that we can grow up in and have kids in that is healthy and inhabitable,’” Sanders said at the Des Moines event. “When that global movement spreads, maybe, just maybe, we can tell world leaders all over the planet that instead of spending $1.8 trillion a year on weapons of destruction designed to kill each other, maybe we can pool our resources and combat our common enemy which is climate change.”

U.S. Youth Climate Strike’s Co-Founder and Partnerships Director Isra Hirsi, Executive Director Felíquan Charlemagne, Political Director Daylon Prochaska and Creative Director Pujan Patel endorsed the senator for president in their personal capacities.
 
“Historically, movements have had young people at the forefront and the climate movement is no exception,” Hirsi said. “Bernie has been there since day one fighting alongside all the young people across the country.”
 
“Bernie Sanders’ Green New Deal is the only plan that addresses the climate crisis to the scale it needs to be addressed,” Charlemagne said. “It is the only plan that sets our goals to 2030. It is the only plan that has such a consideration of climate migrants, the only plan that has such a consideration of climate justice. It’s the only plan that can save our planet.”
 
“When we talk about consequences, it’s my generation. It’s our people who are going to be facing the consequences and who are going to be living in a world that is not sustainable, Prochaska said. “It’s Bernie Sanders and that campaign and the movement that he’s building that actively centers us in the conversation. The Bernie campaign focuses on young people and focuses on marginalized communities. And that allows him to listen to us, and that allows us to be heard.”
 
“When Bernie talks about this being a global crisis where we need to come together as one planet, this is what he means,” Pujan said. “A grassroots movement where the working class stands up and tells the government that we have a say and that we deserve to survive.”
 
“I’m a freshman from Ankeny Iowa,” Iowa State Lead Lydia Pesek, who introduced Sanders at the event in Des Moines, said. “I’m also the Iowa State Lead for US Youth Climate Strike, and have organized three climate strikes in Iowa along with other passionate youth activists. Climate Change is my biggest issue, because it will affect every other problem, and we’re running out of time to stop i. I’m endorsing Bernie because I think that it’s important to have someone who will take radical stances on things like climate change, and health care reform. I think it’s important we have someone in office who is for the people, and who has stuck to his beliefs from day one no matter what other people are saying.”
 
Sanders last month met with Iowa youth climate strikers at his campaign’s Climate Crisis Summit hosted with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Des Moines.
 
Sanders’ Green New Deal sets a goal of reaching 100 percent renewable energy for electricity and transportation by no later than 2030, ensures justice for frontline communities and expands the climate justice movement to prioritize young people, workers, indigenous people and communities of color.
 
Isra Hirsi’s video can be seen here, Felíquan Charlemagne’s video can be seen here, Daylon Prochaska’s video can be seen here and Pujan Patel’s video can be seen here.
 
###

Bernie 2020
December 5, 2019
Contact: Roger Ouellette

NEWS: Over 30 Farmers and Rural Activists Across Iowa Endorse Bernie Sanders

Endorsements Announced Ahead of Sanders Events with Farmers and Rural Leaders on Thursday, Friday and Saturday

DES MOINES -- A group of 38 Iowa farmers and rural activists on Thursday endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president. The endorsements come as Sanders is set to speak tonight at the Organic Farmers Association and Iowa Organic Association Forum in Story City, the Iowa Farmers Union Presidential Forum on Friday in Grinnell and his Farmer and Rural Economy Town Hall in Iowa Falls on Saturday.

“Rural agriculture is the victim of corporations at both ends of the spectrum,” Delaware County farmer Randy Marquardt said. “After 49 years I am considering an exit, not due to health or wanting to retire but rather a desire to do something whereby I can actually make a living. I know Bernie Sanders will fight for families like mine, because he always has.”

“Our grassroots movement is earning the support of rural Iowans because we are the only campaign with the vision, courage, and the people power required to save small-town America from corporate greed,” Bernie 2020 Iowa State Director Misty Rebik said. “These Iowans are tired of watching corporations swallowing up their farms and local economies. They understand that Bernie Sanders is the candidate they can trust to take on these predatory monopolies, and win.”

Sen. Sanders’ Revitalizing Rural America plan and his Green New Deal would boost rural economies, mitigate water pollution and promote sustainable farming practices across the country. Sanders will also use antitrust authority to combat abusive corporate monopolies strangling family farms.

The endorsing farmers and rural activists include:

Barney Bahrenfuse, Livestock Producer & Local Food Advocate, Jasper County
James Berge, Farmer & Rural Activist, Worth County
Michael Glenn Breitbach, Organic Farmer, Grocer, & Musician, Dubuque County
James Bird, Small Business Owner & Environmental Activist, Wright County
Brenda Brink, Clean Water & Rural Activist, Story County
Ash Bruxvoort, WFAN Member and Innkeeper, Linn County
April Burch, Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner, Boone County
Suzanne Castello, Livestock Producer & Local Food Advocate, Jasper County
Susan Cerato, Family Farmer, Appanoose County
Emily Coll, Beginning Farmer & IFU Board Treasurer, Boone County
Jeff Cox, Co-editor of the Prairie Progressive, Johnson County
Kim Davis, County Democratic Chair & Rural Activist, Washington County
Thomas Fiegen, Former State Senator, Farm Bankruptcy Lawyer, Cedar County
Meghan Filbert, Practical Farmer & Educator, Story County
Jan Flora, Retired ISU Professor & Sustainable Ag Activist, Story County
Larry Ginter, Retired Farmer & Community Activist, Marshall County
Dale Grimmius, Livestock & Grain Farmer, Grundy County
Gary Hoskey, Family Farmer, Tama County
James Isley, Farmer & Rural Activist, Warren County
Daniel Josephson, Family Farmer, Buena Vista County
Barb Kalbach, Family Farmer and Nurse, Adair County
Daniel Kelly, Farmer & Computer Programmer, Union County
Patti Kelly, Farmer & NNU Member, Union County
Joe Lynch, Organic Farmer, Story County
Randy Marquardt, Family Farmer, Delaware County
Chuck Mohns, Retired Farmer, Carroll & Crawford Counties
George Naylor, Organic Farmer & Rural Activist, Greene County
Patti Naylor, Organic Farmer & Rural Activist, Greene County
Rosie Partridge, Small Business Owner & Conservation Activist, Sac County
Chris Petersen, Family Farmer & IFU Board Member, Cerro Gordo County
Faith Reeves, Farm Manager & Local Food Advocate, Jefferson County
Emma Schmit, Food and Water Watch Organizer, Calhoun County
Nick Schutt, Independent Farmer, Hardin County
Francis Thicke, Organic Dairy Farmer & Soil Scientist, Jefferson County
Bradley Tronchetti, Farmer & Rural Activist, Greene County
Jonathan Wilder, Farmer & Rural Activist, Cerro Gordo County
Don Wirth, Archaeologist & Sustainability Specialist, Boone County
Ethan Vorhes, Farmer, Chickasaw County

###

Bernie 2020
December 4, 2019
Contact: Roger Ouellette

NEWS: Iowa Latino Leader Mitch Henry Endorses Sanders

DES MOINES -- Mitch Henry, co-founder and board member of the Asian and Latino Coalition, on Wednesday endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president.

“I am endorsing Bernie Sanders because I know that when he is in the White House, he will fight for Latinos and working people everywhere because he always has,” Henry said. “His leadership and strength are desperately needed at a time of great division and fear in America. Sen. Sanders sends a loud and clear message that the Latino electorate is hungry for a new type of leadership that stands up to special interests and puts people before politics.”

Mitch Henry, listed as one of the Des Moines Register’s 50 Most Wanted Democrats, co-founded the Asian and Latino Coalition PAC and currently serves as board member and Communications Director. Henry previously served as LULAC Political Director and Polk County Director for LULAC’s Latino Iowa Caucus. He has worked on over two dozen statewide and local political campaigns in Iowa and is a U.S. Navy veteran.

“We are excited to get to work with Mitch over the next 61 days to expand the electorate, turn out Latinos at an historic level and win the Iowa caucus for Bernie Sanders and working people across this state,” Bernie 2020 Iowa State Director Misty Rebik said. “Mitch knows what it takes to win in Iowa and he will be instrumental in keeping up our strong momentum as we head into the final stretch.”

Sanders’ campaign has worked to connect Latino voters across Iowa, holding “Unidos con Bernie” organizing events and naming LULAC Iowa State Director Nick Salazar as Bernie 2020 Iowa Co-Chair. The Sanders campaign has announced over 20 endorsements from Latino leaders in Iowa, including prominent community activists Kenia Calderón Cerón, Maria Bribriesco, Manny Galvez and Denise Diaz.

###

Bernie 2020
December 3, 2019
Contact: Roger Ouellette

NEWS: Iowa Student Action Endorses Sanders

Student organizer: Sanders’ College for All plan “shows he is willing to fight for us.”
 
DES MOINES -- Iowa Student Action and its progressive student organizers across the state’s college campuses on Tuesday endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president.

“Only Bernie Sanders has proven to be an ally and voice for young people throughout his lifetime, and we’re confident that he’ll continue to do so when he’s president,” said Iowa Student Action organizer Sara Castro. “Candidates need to do more than just say they support young people, they need to show that support. Sanders’ College for All plan, including undocumented and formerly incarcerated people, along with full debt cancellation, shows he is willing to fight for us.”

“Students at Iowa’s public colleges, private colleges, community colleges and trade schools know that Bernie Sanders believes higher education is a right, not a privilege for the few,” Bernie 2020 Iowa State Director Misty Rebik said. “Iowa Student Action is going to organize campuses across the state to achieve record-breaking youth turnout this caucus. Together, with Bernie Sanders in the White House as Organizer-in-Chief, we are going to build a movement to deliver college for all.”

Iowa Student Action is an affiliate of Student Action, a national network of student organizations that run a national campaign for tuition-free college for all and the full cancellation of student debt. Sen. Sanders is the only presidential candidate with a universal College for All and full debt cancellation plan.

Iowa Student Action has members at campuses across the state including Grinnell College, Iowa State University, Des Moines Area Community College, University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa and Cornell College. Iowa Student Action is also a sister organization of Iowa CCI, which endorsed Sanders on Monday.

Sanders continues to build on his lead with young Iowans. High schoolers voted 2-to-1 for Bernie in October’s Iowa Youth Straw Poll. In poll after poll, college students across the state and country overwhelmingly support Sanders by similarly decisive margins. Sanders leads the entire field with young donors in Iowa, receiving more contributions from Iowans 25 years old and younger than the next five candidates combined.

The Sanders campaign in Iowa has built the largest grassroots volunteer base in the state, bolstered by thousands of young volunteers. Over 1,500 students across the country signed up for the Bernie Summer School program to train campus leaders with staff-level organizing skills and resources. Volunteers at some of the largest high schools in the state and nearly every college in Iowa signed up to participate in the Summer School program.
 
###

Bernie 2020
December 2, 2019
Contact: Roger Ouellette

NEWS: Sanders to Receive Iowa CCI Endorsement 

Iowa's Largest Progressive Organization to Hold Endorsement Event and Direct Action on Thursday
 
DES MOINES – Sen. Bernie Sanders will be endorsed by Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI), the largest progressive organization in the state, on Thursday, December 5.

“Some 2020 Presidential candidates have been embracing or acknowledging movement politics. But only one of them has been doing it for decades, just like Iowa CCI Action and our sister organization Iowa CCI,” Iowa CCI Action Board President Cherie Mortice wrote in an email to members. “That's why Iowa CCI Action is endorsing Bernie Sanders. We’re standing with Bernie because Bernie stands with us.”

“Iowa CCI is not only the largest progressive organization in Iowa, they are the hardest working and know what it takes to win for working people,” said Bernie 2020 Iowa State Director Misty Rebik. “The members of Iowa CCI made this endorsement because they know that when Bernie Sanders is in the White House, he will fight alongside us because he always has.”

Iowa CCI members will formally announce the endorsement at a press conference on Thursday at 11:30 AM CT at Iowa CCI headquarters in Des Moines. Following the event, Iowa CCI members will board a bus to take a direct action against corporate interests fighting against Medicare for All. 

The Iowa CCI endorsement process took 7 months as members met with multiple presidential candidates. Sen. Sanders toured factory farms in August and walked on picket lines and in workers’ rights marches across the state with Iowa CCI members.
 
###

Bernie 2020
November 26, 2019

NEWS: Iowa DACA Recipient and Activist Endorses Sanders

DES MOINES – Iowa DACA recipient and community activist Kenia Calderón Cerón on Tuesday endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president in a column published in English in the Des Moines Register and Spanish on HolaAmerica.
 
“I am one of the nearly 3,000 DACA recipients living in Iowa,” writes Kenia Calderón Cerón. “Being visible and open about my DACA status has come with great responsibility. I’ve spent months researching the Democratic candidates because I know that on February 3rd, I will again be inundated with texts and questions. After much consideration, I am certain that Senator Bernie Sanders is the best candidate for immigrants.”
 
Kenia Calderón Cerón’s endorsement follows the release of Sanders’ immigration policy,  the most progressive immigration plan of any presidential candidate. Sanders' Welcoming and Safe America for All plan would dismantle cruel, inhumane deportation programs and detention centers, and reunite families who have been separated.
 
Sanders’ campaign has worked to connect Latino voters across Iowa, holding “Unidos con Bernie” organizing events and naming LULAC Iowa State Director Nick Salazar as Bernie 2020 Iowa Co-Chair. The Sanders campaign has announced over 20 endorsements from Latino leaders in Iowa, including prominent community activists Maria Bribriesco, Manny Galvez and Denise Diaz.
 
Calderón Cerón’s column is available in English here and Spanish here, and pasted below:
 
Des Moines Register - Iowan who can't vote or caucus asks the rest of us to think of immigrants
Participating in democracy is a way to stand up on behalf of vulnerable people
 
By Kenia Calderón Cerón
 
For the last 14 years, Iowa has been my home. When people ask if I plan to move away, I’m always shocked. Where else could I find such warmth and generosity? When I was a little girl who didn’t know a word of English, Iowans welcomed me. They taught me I had a voice — regardless of my legal status.
 
I am one of the nearly 3,000 DACA recipients living in Iowa. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival is a status established by former President Barack Obama that gave protection to immigrants who were brought here as children. 
 
We cannot participate in the Iowa caucus on February 3rd. But that doesn’t mean we sit silent as presidential candidates pour attention on Iowa. My fellow Iowans need to understand how their decisions affect people they do not know.
 
The President of the United States has incredible power over my community. I owe it to immigrants everywhere to get our presidential candidates to see us, prioritize us and denounce the hate that surrounds us.
 
We need others to keep us in mind when they caucus and vote, too. Caucusing is a way to stand in solidarity with the most vulnerable communities. Caucusing for the right candidate can save lives.
 
While I can’t caucus and vote, I make sure others do. Information about how, when, and where to caucus has not always been accessible to Latino Iowans. Yet we can be the difference between the top two candidates. More than two-thirds of the estimated 194,432 Latinos in our state were born in the United States.
 
During the 2016 caucus, I had entire families sending me pictures at their precinct. Friends missed class to caucus on my behalf. I was overwhelmed with text messages asking about the process and the candidates. My community knew I needed to see them exercise their right — a right I don’t have yet.
 
Being visible and open about my DACA status has come with great responsibility. I’ve spent months researching the Democratic candidates because I know that on February 3rd, I will again be inundated with texts and questions.
 
After much consideration, I am certain that Senator Bernie Sanders is the best candidate for immigrants. He’s not our savior; he’s our fighter and advocate. He will end workplace raids like the one that shook Postville in 2007, and end the detention of children and separation of families.
 
As health care dominates this primary, undocumented immigrants are often left out of the conversation. I have witnessed immigrants avoid getting care due to fear and lack of resources. They see a doctor when they can no longer endure the pain and end up in emergency rooms. Iowans need health care, regardless of income or immigrant status.
 
On February 3, 2020, I am confident Latino Iowans will caucus in large numbers for the best candidate, for Sanders. He will reverse the policies that have harmed immigrants and restore and expand DACA, allowing more people like me to continue to call Iowa my home — and to call all Iowans my neighbors.
 
--
 

Hola America - No puedo votar, pero tomó en serio el Caucus de Iowa

 
Por Kenia Calderón Cerón
 
Durante los últimos 14 años, Iowa ha sido mi hogar. Cuando la gente pregunta si planeo mudarme, siempre me sorprendo. ¿Dónde más podría encontrar tanta calidez y generosidad? Cuando era una niña que no sabía una palabra de inglés, las personas de Iowa me dieron la bienvenida. Me enseñaron que tenía una voz, independientemente de mi estado legal.
 
Soy una de los casi 3,000 beneficiarios de DACA que viven en Iowa. No podemos participar en el caucus de Iowa el 3 de febrero. Pero eso no significa que nos quedemos callados mientras los candidatos presidenciales prestan atención a Iowa. Mis compañeros de Iowa necesitan entender cómo sus decisiones afectan a las personas que no conocen.
 
El presidente tiene un poder increíble sobre mi comunidad. Se lo debo a los inmigrantes de todas partes  que nuestros candidatos presidenciales nos vean, nos den prioridad y denuncien el odio que nos rodea.
 
Necesitamos que otros nos tengan en cuenta cuando se reúnan y voten también. El participar en un caucus es una forma de expresar solidaridad con las comunidades más vulnerables. Participar en el caucus para el candidato adecuado puede salvar vidas.
 
Aunque no puedo participar en el caucus y votar, me aseguro de que otros lo hagan. La información sobre cómo, cuándo y dónde participar en el caucus no siempre ha sido accesible para los habitantes latinos de Iowa. Sin embargo, podemos ser la diferencia entre los dos principales candidatos. Más de dos tercios de los 194,432 latinos en nuestro estado nacieron en los Estados Unidos.
 
Durante el caucus del 2016, tuve familias enteras enviándome fotos en su precinto electoral. Amigos faltaron a sus clases para participar en el caucus en mi nombre. Estaba abrumada con mensajes de texto preguntándome sobre el proceso y los candidatos. Mi comunidad sabía que necesitaba verlos ejercer su derecho, un derecho que aún no tengo.
 
Ser visible y compartir sobre mi estado de DACA ha sido una gran responsabilidad. He pasado meses investigando a los candidatos demócratas porque sé que el 3 de febrero volveré a estar inundada con textos y preguntas.
 
Después de mucha consideración, estoy segura de que el senador Bernie Sanders es el mejor candidato para los inmigrantes. Él no es nuestro salvador, es nuestro luchador y defensor. Terminará las redadas en el lugar de trabajo como la que sacudió a Postville en 2007, y pondrá fin a la detención de niños y la separación de familias.
 
A medida que la atención médica domina esta elección primaria, los inmigrantes indocumentados a menudo quedan fuera de la conversación. He sido testigo de cómo los inmigrantes evitan recibir atención debido al miedo y la falta de recursos. Ven a un médico cuando ya no pueden soportar el dolor y terminan en salas de emergencia. El senador Sanders garantizará la atención médica para todos, independientemente de sus ingresos o su estatus migratorio.
 
El 3 de febrero de 2020, estoy segura de que los habitantes latinos de Iowa se reunirán en grandes cantidades para escoger al mejor candidato para nuestra comunidad: Bernie Sanders. El revertirá las políticas que han perjudicado a los inmigrantes y restaurará y ampliará DACA y TPS, permitiendo que más personas como yo sigan llamando a Iowa mi hogar, y llamar a todos los habitantes de Iowa mis vecinos.
 
###

Bernie 2020
November 15, 2019
Contact: Roger Ouellette

NEWS: Bernie 2020 Announces 11 New Endorsements from Latino Leaders in Iowa

Endorsements Build on Momentum Following Rallies with Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Iowa Campaign Co-Chair LULAC State Director Nick Salazar
 
DES MOINES -- Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign on Friday announced 11 new endorsements from Latino workers, activists and small business owners across Iowa. The endorsers include a DACA recipient, who has issued their support for Sen. Sanders as the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates on the fate of Dreamers and the DACA program.

“Across this state, Latino Iowans are standing up and fighting for justice,” said Bernie 2020 Iowa Co-Chair Nick Salazar. “Bernie has the most progressive immigration policy in presidential history. Bernie knows where he came from, standing up for immigrant families like his. Bernie will always fight for our health care, our families and our fellow workers because our fight is his fight.” 

Ahead of holding the largest rally in Iowa of any Democratic candidate with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez last week, Sanders unveiled his Welcoming and Safe America for All plan, the most comprehensive immigration plan of any presidential candidate. Latino voters are a core part of Sanders’ movement, with the campaign receiving more contributions from Latino voters than any other candidate.

The 11 latest endorsers join 11 previously announced by the campaign, including prominent community activists Maria Bribriesco, Manny Galvez and Denise Diaz.

The newest endorsers include:

Kenia Calderón Cerón, Des Moines -- DACA recipient and activist
Karina Chávez, Des Moines -- Co-founder, Al Éxito
Ruben Chávez, Iowa City -- Immigration activist and youth athletics coach
Maria Filippone, Des Moines -- Physician and small business owner
Araceli Lopez, Ames -- President, Iowa State University Students for Bernie
Amner Martinez, Des Moines -- Co-founder, Latino Arts Initiative
Topiz Martinez, Storm Lake -- Owner, Better Day Cafe
Javier Miranda, Ames --  Chapter President, Ames Democratic Socialists of America
Dominic Rodríguez, Storm Lake -- Youth activist for workers rights
Laura Rodríguez, Des Moines -- Creative Arts Chair, Latino Arts Initiative
RosaIsela Salazar, Muscatine -- Immigration activist

###

Bernie 2020
November 7, 2019
Contact: Roger Ouelette

NEWS: LULAC Iowa State Director Nick Salazar Named Bernie 2020 Iowa Campaign Co-Chair

Salazar Named Co-Chair as Sanders Unveils Immigration Plan
 
DES MOINES -- Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign on Thursday named League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Iowa State Director Nick Salazar as a state campaign co-chair. The announcement follows the release of Sanders’ immigration plan, A Welcoming and Safe America for All. Salazar will make his first appearance as a campaign co-chair at Saturday’s Coralville rally to introduce Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

“I personally endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders because he represents the best opportunity for America to truly transform itself into the nation that it can and should be,” said Salazar. “To win Iowa and build a movement we are bringing together a diverse group of leaders, along with millions of people, who are prepared to fight for justice and I am ready to be a part of that fight as campaign co-chair here in Iowa.”

Salazar has a long history of activism in his eastern Iowa community of Muscatine and serves as the Iowa Democratic Party 2nd Congressional District Affirmative Action Chair. In May, Salazar was unanimously elected as LULAC Iowa’s State Director and became the youngest person to serve in the role in the 62-year history of the organization in Iowa. Salazar has played an important leadership role in LULAC’s recent successful efforts to strike down parts of Iowa’s voter ID laws and the awarding of 62 scholarships to Quad City area students totaling over $54,000 in an effort to help ease the burden of college tuition. In October, Sen. Sanders participated in the LULAC presidential forum in Des  Moines, receiving an enthusiastic reception from the crowd.

Salazar joins Linn County Supervisor Stacey Walker as a Bernie 2020 Iowa campaign co-chair.
 
###

Bernie 2020
November 5, 2019
Contact: Roger Ouellette

NEWS: Bernie 2020 Releases Digital Ad Featuring Iowa Campaign Co-Chair Stacey Walker 

New Digital Spot Follows Announcement of Stacey Walker as Speaker at Des Moines Climate Crisis Summit and Coralville Rally
 
DES MOINES -- Bernie 2020 on Tuesday released a new digital ad in Iowa highlighting Linn County Supervisor Stacey Walker’s endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders.

“We were raised on food stamps and lived in Section 8 housing. We lived in a very precarious position … I was gonna have to work twice as hard, be twice as good, in order to get ahead in this world. And it shouldn’t be that hard for folks,” Walker says in the video. “I would say to young folks out there, folks who are disaffected and are cynical about their politics, right now is the opportunity to change it and we’ve got to be a part of this movement to usher in a new era of progress.” 

The video follows the announcement that Walker will join Sen. Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the Des Moines Climate Crisis Summit and speak at their rally in Coralville on Saturday.

Walker, who was named as the first Bernie 2020 Iowa Co-Chair, has adopted a vigorous campaign schedule since endorsing Sen. Sanders. Walker spoke to over 1,300 Iowans at an Iowa City rally, hosted an education roundtable with National Campaign Co-Chair Sen. Nina Turner in Cedar Rapids and helped lead over 1,500 supporters in last Friday’s March to End Corporate Greed.

The video can be seen here.

Bernie 2020
September 25, 2019
Contact: Roger Ouellette

NEWS: Progressive Leaders In All 99 Iowa Counties Endorse Bernie Sanders  

DES MOINES -- Following the conclusion of the Iowa “Bernie Beats Trump” tour, Bernie 2020 today announced endorsements from community leaders and activists in all 99 Iowa counties. The group represents community leaders and activists fighting for Medicare for All, tuition-free college, a Green New Deal and repealing right to work in Iowa by strengthening unions. 

This weekend, the Bernie 2020 Iowa field staff and volunteers hosted over 165 “Plan to Win” parties statewide where community leaders and party activists were trained on how to organize their communities and expand voter outreach.

“In 2016, the political revolution was sparked here in Iowa when thousands of working people came together in a show of grassroots strength to say that we should create a government and an economy that works for all of us and we’re happy to say that in 2019, our grassroots movement is stronger than ever,” said Iowa Bernie 2020 State Director Misty Rebik. “Taking on the corporations and special interests that have a stranglehold on our economy is tough work but I’m confident that the power of this statewide network of grassroots organizers can defeat them and deliver us a victory on caucus night.” 


The slate of Iowa endorsements includes:

Adair County
Carmen Hawley - Legal Secretary and Adair County Activist

Adams County
Mike Miller - Labor Activist and Retired American Postal Workers Union member 

Allamakee County
Irene Lewey - Retired Retail Worker Allamakee County Democratic Activist  

Appanoose County
Karen Garland - Appanoose County Democratic Activist 

Audubon County 
Nathaniel Stephens - Social Worker 

Benton County 
Daniel McDonald - Benton County Democratic Activist

Black Hawk County
Laura and Daren Adams - Disability Activists

Boone County 
April Burch - Boone County Soil and Water Commissioner

Bremer County 
Teresa Meyer -  Registered Nurse and Board of Trustees; Hawkeye Community College

Buchanan County 
Kayla Norman - Community Activist and In-Home Caregiver

Buena Vista County 
Topiz Martinez - Small Business Owner and Political Activist

Butler County 
Garry Krull - Retired Carpenter and Butler County Activist 

Calhoun County 
Emma Schmidt - Democratic Party State Central Committee Member 

Carroll County 
Troy Hofer - Carroll County Activist 

Cass County 
Natalia Ramirez - Cass County Democratic Activist

Cedar County 
David Johnson - Former West Branch City Council Member 

Cerro Gordo County 
Chris Petersen - Farming and Agriculture Activist 

Cherokee County
Molly Stines - Student Activist  

Chickasaw County 
Gatlin Anderson - Chickasaw County Activist and Bernie 2016 Delegate

Clarke County 
Donna Aschan - Right to a Secure Retirement Activist

Clay County 
Jay Lyon - Clay County Activist 

Clayton County 
Jeremy Bergan - Clayton County Democratic Activist 

Clinton County 
Jay Saxon - Retired Political Coordinator; Steelworkers Local 105

Crawford County 
Jessie Rasmussen - Student Activist 

Dallas County
Joseph Arceneaux - Dallas County Activist 

Davis County 
Kevan Bogert - Township Clerk; Drakesville

Decatur County 
Stacey Ramsey - Information Security Analyst and Decatur County Activist 

Delaware County
Brett Hutchinson - Delaware County Democratic Activist 

Des Moines County 
Ryan Rogers - Des Moines County Activist 

Dickinson County 
William Froendt - Medicare for All Activist

Dubuque County
Briana Moss -  Dubuque County Democrats Central Committee Member 

Emmet County 
Sarah and Alan Morphew - Small Business Owners and Emmet County Activists

Fayette County 
Hannah Frederick - Fayette County Democratic Activist 

Floyd County 
Ethan Vorhes - Farming and Agriculture Activist

Franklin County 
Devin Brown - Foundry Specialist and Franklin County Activist

Fremont County 
Lauri Lincoln - Fremont County Democratic Activist

Greene County 
Bradley Tronchetti - Farmer and Activist 

Grundy County 
Jill Stumberg - Social Worker 

Guthrie County 
Amber Lopez - Guthrie County Activist 

Hamilton County 
Steven Pahl - Former Chairman of United Auto Workers Local 442

Hancock County 
Patricia Frayne - Medicare for All Activist 

Hardin County 
Nick Schutt - Farming and Agriculture Activist 

Harrison County 
Heather Pearson - Climate Change Organizer

Henry County 
Daniel Clark - Henry County Activist 

Howard County 
Sue George - Rural Activist 

Humboldt County 
Betty Conlon - Democratic Party Activist

Ida County 
Allan Yeager - Ida County Democratic Activist 

Iowa County 
McKenna McCaw - Iowa County Democratic Activist 

Jackson County 
Sandra Gilliart - Jackson County Activist 

Jasper County 
Linda Christenson -Jasper County Activist 

Jefferson County 
Diane Rosenberg - Social Justice Activist Factory Farm Fighter

Johnson County 
Jon Green - Lone Tree Mayor
Tom Carsner - Union Steward American Federation of Teachers 

Jones County 
Markie Camp - Jones County Community Activist 

Keokuk County 
Melody Jarrard - Keokuk County Democratic Activist 

Kossuth County 
Melissa Fox - Medicare for All Activist 

Lee County 
Carrie Duncan - Labor Activist and member of IAMAW Local 1010 

Linn County 
Eldon Wohlleben - Former School Board Member - Linn-Mar Community School District

Louisa County 
Julie Briggs - Registered Nurse and Louisa County Activist 

Lucas County 
Genasee Post - Hy-Vee Warehouse Worker and Lucas County Activist 

Lyon County 
Lisa Stevens - Lyon County Democratic Activist 

Madison County 
Wade Lester - Madison County Democratic Activist and IBEW Local 347 member

Mahaska County 
Kaitlin Trainer - Kindergarten Teacher and Mahaska County Activist 

Marion County 
Heather Cadwell - Education Activist 

Marshall County 
Ramona Chavez-Lopez - Immigration Activist

Mills County 
Trevor Yilk - Mills County Activist

Mitchell County
Neil Miller - Medicare for All Activist  

Monona County 
Jennifer Kennedy - Student Activist 

Monroe County 
Riley Waters - Monroe County Activist and IBEW Local 13 member 

Montgomery County 
Jennifer Horner - Montgomery County Democratic Activist 

Muscatine County 
Alexis Huscko - Muscatine County Activist 

O’Brien County 
Caleb Schreurs - Student Activist

Osceola County 
Scott Arneson - Osceola County Democratic Activist 

Page County 
Laura Tumak-Hickey - Rural Activist 

Palo Alto County 
Jane Schnieders - Farming Activist 

Plymouth County 
Carson Reimenschneider - Plymouth County Activist 

Pocahontas County 
Joseph Hereid - Pocahontas County Democratic Activist 

Polk County 
Patrick Bourgeacq Pinzón - Academic Director and Community Leader

Pottawattamie County 
Pat Coffman - Nursing Home Program Coordinator and Health Care Activist

Poweshiek County 
Jamie Nelson - Community Education Activist and NEA member

Ringgold County 
Mark Edwards - Campaign Finance Reform Activist 

Sac County 
Robert Theulen - Sac County Democratic Activist 

Scott County 
Maria Bribriesco - Former Deputy State Director for LULAC-Iowa

Shelby County
Laura Anderson - Workers Rights Activist  

Sioux County 
Jessica Butler - Rural Activist

Story County
Brenda Brink - Clean Water Activist  

Tama County 
Margaret Rebik - Retired Vice President of UFCW 1149 

Taylor County
Lara Schenck - Community Organizer  

Union County
Deb Marlin - Small Business Owner and Health Care Activist  

Van Buren County 
Kurt Mielke - Van Buren County Democratic Activist 

Wapello County 
Loma Benge - Health Care Activist

Warren County 
James Insley - Farming Activist

Washington County 
Gabrielle Frederick - Kalona School Board Member

Wayne County 
Dylan Jones - Teacher and Community Activist 

Webster County 
Dave Haynes - Webster County Democratic Activist 

Winnebago County 
Micah Heimdlal - Glass Installer and Winnebago County Activist 

Winneshiek County 
Ellen Rockne - Small Business Owner and Arts Activist

Woodbury County
Jacqueline Becke - Woodbury County Democratic Activist 

Worth County 
Jim Berge - Former Worth County Democratic Party Chair

Wright County 
James Bird - Climate Change and Health Care Activist


###

Bernie 2020
August 27, 2019
Contact:
Roger Ouellette

Progressive Leaders Across Iowa Endorse Bernie Sanders

Endorsements from Iowans fighting for our rural communities and health care for all follow Sanders' recent visit
 
DES MOINES -- Bernie 2020 today announced endorsements from rural leaders and health care advocates across Iowa, building on the largest grassroots volunteer base in the state.

The latest endorsements follow Sen. Sanders’ visit to Iowa week, where he held 10 events in three days and introduced at the Iowa AFL-CIO Convention his comprehensive Workplace Democracy Plan to at least double union membership in his first term as president and restore workers’ rights. Sen. Sanders also announced last week the Green New Deal to confront climate change and create 20 million jobs, and the most comprehensive criminal justice reform plan.

“Our grassroots movement is built on the simple but profound idea that if we let every day Iowans lead our campaign, we can transform this state forever,” said Iowa Bernie 2020 State Director Misty Rebik. “This slate of endorsers have decades of experience delivering real justice for the working people of this state and we’re confident that their leadership will drive us victory.”

Following a tour of factory farms in Iowa this month, Sanders received endorsements from rural, agricultural and clean water leaders and activists from across the state:

April Burch - Boone County Soil and Water Commissioner
April Burch serves on the Boone County Soil and Water District Conservation Commission where she supports landowners in their efforts to protect water quality, soil health and animal habitat for future generations.

"When Sen. Sanders talks about greater civic engagement, that means the world to me because democracy is not a spectator sport. It's going to take everyone pulling together to build a better future and Sen. Sanders teaches that every chance he gets. I'm all in with Sen. Sanders as we build a movement to make government work for everyone, not just the ruling class."

Nick Schutt - Farmer and Agriculture Justice Activist
Nick Schutt is a third-generation independent family farmer raising corn, beans, and hogs on an 80-acre farm in Hardin County. Nick is a longtime leader in his community and former candidate for Hardin County Supervisor.

“Living in rural Iowa each one of Sen. Sanders policies speak to me. He believes in the dignity of people regardless of their backgrounds. There’s a lot of hopelessness in rural communities, but I know under a Sanders administration our voices and concerns will be heard.”

Laura Tumec-Hickey - Rural Activist
Laura Tumec-Hickey moved to Iowa in 1999 to work with teens at a residential school. She is active in her community and an advocate for rural justice issues.

“I was pregnant with our third child when I met Sen. Sanders at a parade in 2015. He was fighting then, as he is now, for real family values such as Medicare-for-All, paid maternity leave, and affordable education, which would improve the lives of every Iowan. I support Sen. Sanders for president because he is fighting for people like us, not just the privileged and wealthy.”

Ethan Vorhes - Farmer and Community Activist
Ethan and his family raise beef and pork on a non-GMO grain farm in Northern Iowa. Ethan is director and member of the Hemp Feed Coalition. He worked the last three years to transplant his farming operation to a hemp-legal state.

“I am proud to endorse Sen. Sanders for president because he is treating our climate like the emergency situation it is. Sen Sanders has made it clear that small family farms are the front lines of this fight and they are. He is one of a handful of politicians that have connected the dots and is listening to real farmers and not the behemoth agribusinesses that are destroying our planet. Because Sen. Sanders has a well-documented record of fighting the good fight and not selling out, I support him for President.”

Jan Wann - Community Activist and Factory Farm Fighter
Jan Wann is a resident of North Central Iowa who has been fighting the expansion of factory farms in rural Iowa for over a decade. She is a retired editor and mathematician.

“Sen. Sanders listens to our communities and understands the need to get corporate greed off the backs of Iowans. He has a long history of fighting for the rights of those with few resources and that is why I support him for President.”   

After Sen. Sanders held health care town halls across the state, Iowans who fight for health care justice endorsed the campaign:

Sue Baethke - IT Contractor and Warren County Community Activist
Sue Baethke is a progressive activist from Indianola, Iowa. She is an active member of the Warren County Democrats.

“I'm supporting Sen. Sanders because I see someone who has been fighting his entire adult life to make life better for people like me and my family. He has stood up for workers over corporations. He’s been fighting to make sure healthcare is a human right, not a commodity to be bought and sold for profit. While most politicians say what’s popular, Bernie has always said what he believes is morally right. He’s been steadfast to his message and hasn’t changed his tune to be liked. That sort of authenticity and integrity is what he will bring to the presidency.”

James Bird - Climate Change and Health Care Activist
James Bird is a retired Maintenance Technician with over thirty years of experience on the job. He is a proud member of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and served as a state delegate for Sen. Sanders in 2016.

“Sen. Sanders is consistent and understands our dire situation here in Iowa.  He’ll work to fight back against factory farms and climate change.”   

Pat Coffman - Nursing Home Program Coordinator
Pat Coffman is a healthcare advocate and activities coordinator with Northcrest Living Center. She has been working in the healthcare industry her entire life and because of this experience believes healthcare to be a human right, not a privilege.

“Many thought Sen. Sanders’ plans were seen as impossible in the 2016 elections, but he persevered and now his ideas are the gold standards that others are being graded upon. I’ve never been a fan of half measures and band-aid policies. I want bold progressive policies and a candidate that can deliver. Sen. Sanders doesn’t sugarcoat or tell you what you want to hear; he tells the truth. His realism is refreshing. His plans will make life better for people like me, and millions of those left behind in this country.”

Alexis Huscko - Health Care Activist
Alexis Huscko is a lifelong Iowan and Medicare for All Activist from Muscatine, Iowa.

“Sen. Sanders has my support because he wants to better the lives of every American in this country by lifting the financial burden that has been wrongfully placed on our backs. He is the only candidate that has consistently been on the side of people even in the face of controversy. I trust Bernie Sanders to stand up for me and that is exactly why he is my candidate.”

Deb Marlin - Small Business Owner and Health Care Activist
Deb Marlin is a Small Business Owner and Healthcare Activist in Union County. She is the founder and president of  Nodaway Valley Free Clinic, a non-profit free health care clinic that assists the underserved in southwest Iowa.

“As a rural Iowan, I've seen a lot of economic injustices affecting Americans of every stripe. The first time I heard someone actually speaking about these injustices in a concrete way, was when Sen. Sanders gave a speech in the Senate laying out his twelve-point economic agenda for America. I saw an individual who understood the pain of my community and had a feasible plan to bring immediate relief to the average person. When he announced that he was running for President, I was immediately on board, because he gave me a voice.”

###

Sanders 2020
August 10, 2019
Contact:
Roger Ouellette

ENDORSEMENTS: Latinx Community Leaders and Activists Across Iowa Endorse Bernie Sanders 

DES MOINES -- Bernie 2020 today announced endorsements from Latinx community leaders and activists across Iowa ahead of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ upcoming Unidos con Bernie campaign event in Des Moines. 

“Even in the face of President Trump’s xenophobia and racism, the Latinx community continues to bravely stand up and fight for justice in our communities here in Iowa,” said Bernie 2020 Iowa State Director Misty Rebik. “These endorsers are on the front lines of that fight and our grassroots movement stands inspired by their leadership and looks forward to working with them to win the caucus in February.” 

The slate of Iowa endorsements includes:

Maria Bribriesco - Former Deputy State Director - LULAC Iowa*
Maria Bribriesco is a community activist and Deputy State Director for LULAC-Iowa. She is a former president of the Davenport-Bettendorf American Association of University Women and has served on numerous boards of not for profit organizations. She is currently on the boards of Footbridge and Quad City Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees. 


Jazmin Devora - Community Activist and DACA Recipient
Jazmin Devora is a student and DACA beneficiary from North Iowa. She is a community activist fighting for comprehensive immigration reform.


Denise Diaz -  Small Business Owner 
Denise Diaz is a community leader and a small business owner with strong roots in community activism and social justice in Des Moines. She is a proud Chicana, granddaughter of immigrants and lover of justice.


Manny Galvez - Owner, El Trueque
Manny Galvez is the founder of El Trueque, a Spanish language media outlet based in North Liberty. He is a prominent activist and advocate for the Latinx community across the state of Iowa.


Claudio Hidalgo - Activist and Professor 
Claudio Hidalgo is a professor at The University of Iowa and Kirkwood Community College. He is a Chilean immigrant, community activist and a 2018 Diversity Catalyst Seed Grant Recipient.


Vanessa Marcano-Kelly -  Business Owner and Community Activist 
Vanessa Marcano-Kelly is the owner of Caracas Language Solutions, LLC in Des Moines. She is a community leader and proud immigrant from Venezuela.


Patrick Bourgeacq Pinzón - Academic Director and Community Leader
Patrick Bourgeacq Pinzón is the Assistant Director of International Admission at Drake University and a long-time active community leader in Des Moines.


Antonia Rivera - Activist, Writer and DACA Recipient
Antonia Rivera was born in Distrito Federal, Mexico and at age six crossed the border to the United State. She spent her youth in California organizing for local and federal policies that would help undocumented youth and their families. She is a recipient of the Bicultural Iowa Writers’ Fellowship and a contributing author to “We the Interwoven”, where she writes about migration and what it means to be part of the 1.5 generation.


Maria Romero -  Community Activist 
Maria Romero a Des Moines immigration activist, mother of five, and community leader.


Reverend Alejandro Alfaro Santiz - Pastor, Trinity Las Americas Methodist Church
Reverend Alejandro Alfaro Santiz is the Lead Pastor at Trinity Las Americas in Des Moines. He is a community leader for many progressive causes and is one of the leading organizers for the Iowa chapter of the Poor People’s Campaign. 


*Organization listed for identification purposes only

 
###

Sanders 2020
July 12, 2019
Contact:
Roger Ouellette

ENDORSEMENT: Iowa State Representative Jeff Kurtz Endorses Bernie Sanders

DES MOINES – Bernie 2020 in Iowa today announces their first endorsement from a State Legislator with Rep. Jeff Kurtz joining a slate of progressive leaders across Iowa. Rep. Kurtz House represents District 83 which includes Lee County and parts of Des Moines County.

“It's with great pleasure that I give my endorsement to Senator Bernie Sanders for President of the United States,” said Rep. Jeff Kurtz. “Bernie has been consistent through his entire career on the issues that matter to the 99%. I am endorsing him because he doesn’t just talk about the issues, he has worked to implement policies that ensure a strong middle class and protect our most vulnerable citizens here in Iowa.”

“Rep. Kurtz is a  progressive leader in the Iowa Democratic Party and our grassroots movement is happy to have his support,” said Misty Rebik, Bernie 2020 Iowa State Director. “As a life-long union member, Rep. Kurtz understands the true working class values of the Democratic Party and we are proud to have a leader like him stand with us as we fight for the issues Iowans care about like Medicare for All, a $15 wage and a union no matter where you work.”

Rep. Jeff Kurtz worked as an engineer with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), a Teamsters-affiliated union, for 41 years. He was a union officer most of his career, including stints as BLET Local 391 President for eight years and Chairman of the BLET Iowa State Legislative Board for ten years. He resides in Ft. Madison, Iowa.
 
###

Bernie 2020
June 6, 2019
Contact: Roger Ouellette

Progressive Leaders Across Iowa Endorse Bernie Sanders

DES MOINES – Bernie 2020 today announced endorsements from progressive leaders across Iowa ahead of Senator Bernie Sanders’ upcoming visit this week.
 
“This incredible group of endorsers are some of the most well-known progressive voices that Iowa has to offer,” said Misty Rebik, Bernie 2020 Iowa State Director. “Together with our 25,000-strong volunteer base in the state, these progressive Iowans will help us build on our grassroots movement and win on caucus night.”
 
The first slate of Bernie 2020 Iowa endorsements includes:
 

Jonathan Green, Mayor of Lone Tree
Jonathan Green is the Mayor of Lone Tree, a rural community in Johnson County. Green has served on the Iowa Democratic Party State Central Committee.

"Senator Sanders has been leading on the issues of our time since before I was born. Often a lonely voice, he has nevertheless worked tirelessly and consistently to hone his proposals. Bernie Sanders has helped all of us to see half-measures are insufficient in the face of the injustices and inequalities we face today."


Beverly Hannon, State Senator (ret.)
Beverly Hannon is a former Iowa State Senator and an Iowa Democratic Party Hall of Fame inductee. In the Senate, Hannon chaired the Human Resources committee and served on the Education, Natural Resources, Small Business/Economic Development, and Human Rights committees.

“One of the many reasons I support Bernie Sanders is that he is and has been steadfast on the issues he champions. I am impressed that he declines big contributions from industry or special interest groups, which many presidential candidates accept, and instead depends primarily on ordinary people to contribute. Bernie is not afraid to stand in a protest line for better wages for workers; he adopts causes which other candidates ignore. I consider Bernie to really be a man of the people.”


Kate Larson, Dubuque City Councilmember
Kate Larson was elected to the Dubuque City Council in 2017. She serves the city’s 3rd Ward, which includes some of the community’s most racially and economically diverse areas. Prior to serving on council, Larson was a member of the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission for four years. In 2016, she was elected as a national delegate for Senator Sanders and attended the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

"Senator Sanders gained my respect and support in 2015 when I first heard him speak in Dubuque. Oppressive student loan debt, climate change, equal pay for women and criminal justice reform were just a few of the many issues that resonated with me. While in Iowa last month, he also addressed the affordable housing crisis, which greatly impacts our community and many residents in the ward I represent. Sanders’ energy and leadership, along with a lifelong track record of fighting for what’s right, are why I’m proud to support Bernie Sanders for President in 2020."


Patrick Morrissey, Waterloo City Councilmember
Patrick Morrissey has represented Ward 3 on the Waterloo City Council since 2014. He is a retired child abuse investigator, union activist, social and human rights activist.

"Bernie Sanders was, is and will always be the person to see people’s progressive needs become reality. Bernie Sanders has said time and again that this is not about him but about people and making things right. I did, do and will endorse Bernie Sanders for President of the United States of America.”


Chris Morse, Polk County Democrats Membership Committee Chair
Chris Morse is a community activist who serves as the Polk County Democrats Membership Committee Chair, as well as Des Moines Neighbors Treasurer and Merle Hay Neighborhood Association President.

“Since the summer of 2015, I have been a strong supporter of Bernie Sanders. His consistent call for us to be involved in our democracy is exactly what our country needs. His leadership inspires me to do everything I can to empower others to be active in their communities and the Democratic party. When you combine his authentic passion for helping others with his drive to fix our broken systems, take on the major corporations and ensure healthcare is a human right, you find someone who can lead our party into the future.”


Jason Roudabush, Poweshiek County Supervisor
A small-town business owner for over 25 years, Jason serves as a Poweshiek County Supervisor. Roudabush also serves as President of his hometown Chamber of Commerce.

“I have followed Bernie Sanders for over ten years and we have a lot in common. We believe in a path to citizenship, clean air, clean water, support for small farmers and businesses. We believe in health care for all, affordable college for all, a living wage for all, campaign finance reform and many other issues -- but it will take us all to make a difference. Bernie Sanders fights every day for all of us. That's why I'm supporting Bernie Sanders for President in 2020.”


Nick Salazar, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) State Director
Nick Salazar is the newly elected State Director of LULAC. An organizer and activist, Nick also serves as the Iowa Democratic Party 2nd Congressional District Affirmative Action Chair and Muscatine Democratic Socialists of America Co-Chair:

“Bernie Sanders represents the best opportunity for America to truly transform itself into the nation that we can and should be. The United States has a long history of racist economic policies against minorities including Latinos, the largest minority population. But we can move the nation away from its racial economic inequalities of the past and present, if we support Senator Sanders and his bold policies that seek to bridge this racial wealth divide. A growing, economically secure Latino population means a growing, economically secure United States.”


Emma Schmit, Iowa Democratic Party Central Committee Member
Schmit is a community organizer working on agricultural policy and an activist fighting for independent family farms, Medicare for All and criminal justice reform. Schmit serves on the Iowa Democratic Party State Central Committee representing the Democrats of Iowa’s rural 4th District.

“Like many young people, I was inspired to get involved when Bernie ran in 2016. As a single mother, he gave me hope for my child’s future and a world not ravaged by climate change. As a college graduate with $63,000 in student loan debt, he gave me hope that I might someday live without such a financial burden looming over my future. As an employee making less than a living wage, he gave me hope for a world that values its workers. Bernie inspired me to become a Democrat and join the fight for the values and policies he has been proposing his entire career. Bernie continues to be the frontrunner on the issues that matter and I look forward to continuing to fight alongside him for what is right and just in this world.”


Kelly Scott, Fairfield School Board Member
Kelly Scott is a Fairfield School Board Member and a teacher with 25 years of experience. He lives with his wife, a fellow educator with 30 years experience, and two sons.

“I have chosen to stand with Senator Sanders because of his long-standing unchanging positions on education, health care, the environment and forcing the top 1 % in America to finally pay a fair share. I stood with him in 2016 and will again because his ‘radical’ ideas four years ago have become common place today. His vision and leadership are exactly what we need.”
 

###