Bernie 2020
March 30, 2020

Sanders campaign: Welcomes Wisconsin state chairs and slate of endorsements

MILWAUKEE – In the ramp up to Wisconsin’s April 7 primary, Bernie 2020 today announced the campaign’s Wisconsin State Chair and Vice-Chairs, as well as a slate of endorsements from elected officials, and labor and community leaders across the state.

“In this unprecedented moment in history, it is more important than ever that we come together and look out for one another,” said Bernie 2020 Wisconsin State Coordinator Sean Ward. “We are grateful to these Wisconsin leaders who are standing with Sen. Sanders in the fight to protect and safeguard our nation through these uncertain and dangerous times.”

Today’s slate of supporters joins Wisconsin leaders such as Steven Shea, Supervisor (District 8) of Milwaukee County; Heidi Wegleitner, Supervisor (District 2) of Dane County; and John Weishan, Jr., Supervisor (District 16) of Milwaukee County. Sen. Sanders also recently welcomed the backing of the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance (WMCA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 212.

The slate of Wisconsin State Chair and Vice-Chairs includes:

Bernie 2020 Wisconsin State Chair and Vice-Chairs

Mark Pocan, U.S. Representative (WI-02), State Chair
David Bowen, State Representative (District 10), State Vice-Chair
Randy Bryce, Founder, IronPAC & Labor Activist, State Vice-Chair
Angelina Cruz, President, Racine Education Association (REA), State Vice-Chair
Sarah Lloyd, Dairy Farmer, State Vice-Chair
Amy Mizialko, President, Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA), State-Vice Chair
Marcelia Nicholson, Vice-Chairwoman, Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors (District 5), State Vice-Chair
Peter Rickman, President, Milwaukee Area Service & Hospitality Workers Organization (MASH), State Vice-Chair
The slate of Wisconsin elected officials, and labor and community leaders personally endorsing Sen. Sanders today includes:

Elected Officials

Larry Miller, President, Milwaukee Board of School Directors
Samba Baldeh, Alder (District 17), Madison Common Council
Bob Peterson, Member (At Large), Milwaukee Board of School Directors
Fabi Maldonado, Supervisor (District 2), Racine County Board of Supervisors & Political Director of Voces de la Frontera
Yogesh Chawla, Supervisor (District 6), Dane County Board of Supervisors
Richard Kilmer, Supervisor (District 4), Dane County Board of Supervisors
Nick Demske, Supervisor (District 1), Racine County Board of Supervisors
Patrick Heck, Alder (District 2), Madison Common Council
Marsha Rummel, Alder (District 6), Madison Common Council

Labor and Community Leaders

Bruce Colburn, Former President, Milwaukee Area Labor Council, Former President, ATU Local 998 & Former Executive Vice President, SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin
John Drew, Former President, United Auto Workers (UAW), Local 72
Clinton Rodgers, District 4 Representative, Communication Workers of America (CWA)
Maxwell Love, Political Director, Milwaukee Area Service & Hospitality Workers Organization (MASH)
Robert Kraig, Executive Director, Citizen Action of Wisconsin
Quotes and additional information on the Wisconsin State Chair and Vice-Chairs, as well as on the slate of endorsements announced today, can be found here.
AFT Local 212 COPE - Milwaukee Area Technical College
March 10, 2020

MATC TEACHERS UNION ENDORSES BERNIE SANDERS FOR PRESIDENT

Following a 10-month process involving full and part-time faculty, academic support staff and counselors, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 212’s Committee on Political Education (COPE) has endorsed Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for president.

“This endorsement is about values. Senator Bernie Sanders has been vocal and unwavering in his support for fair and equitable treatment of workers, access to high quality, affordable healthcare and strengthening of public education, to name a few”, declared Dr. Lisa Conley, an MATC Natural Science Instructor and President of Local 212. “At the end of the day, Senator Sanders most closely aligns with the very things that our union stands for.”

Dr. Conley explained that the union polled its members last May to identify a top-tier slate of preferred candidates.  A COPE team then analyzed the candidates’ positions on issues of critical importance to MATC employees and students, sharing this information with members who also participated in a later preference poll and a caucus event.  The process culminated with COPE’s endorsement vote over the weekend.

“As excited as we are to work for Bernie Sanders enroute to the Wisconsin election on April 7, Local 212 COPE members also voted to support whoever emerges as the Democratic Party candidate”, said Local 212 COPE’s Chairperson, Dr. Dave Weingrod. “This is, in part, because the Trump administration’s policies have been a disaster for our members and our students.”

Weingrod listed as examples the Trump/DeVos positions on student debt, the cost of higher education, their removal of regulations on predatory for-profit colleges, Trump’s attacks on immigrants who have relied on MATC since its founding in 1913, and Trump’s refusal to confront the nation’s unacceptable economic inequality as just some of the many issues where the union differs with Trump and aligns most closely with Sanders.

Local 212 was the first higher education union in the U.S. to successfully negotiate a contract.
Bernie 2020
January 16, 2020

NEWS: Mark Pocan Endorses Bernie Sanders for President

Pocan Named as Bernie 2020 Wisconsin Campaign Chair
 
WASHINGTON – Rep. Mark Pocan, Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, on Thursday endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president and was named Bernie 2020 Wisconsin campaign chair.
 
"For three years now, Donald Trump has poisoned our nation with his failure, corruption, and xenophobia," Pocan said. "Bernie Sanders’ authenticity, honesty, and movement for equality is the antidote our nation needs now. I am proud to endorse a candidate that shares my progressive values and has long been an advocate for the issues Wisconsinites care most about. From health care to a living wage, it’s time we work for working people, and with Bernie Sanders as president - we can do just that."
 
"I’m so proud that Rep. Pocan is supporting our movement and will chair our campaign in Wisconsin," Sanders said. "Mark Pocan is a champion of workers rights and has always stood up to the horrible corporate trade deals that have outsourced millions of jobs. Donald Trump lied to workers in 2016 and then betrayed them as president. With Mark’s help, we will win Wisconsin in 2020 and defeat Donald Trump."
 
In a video released today, Pocan details how Sanders’ progressive trade, minimum wage, health care and climate policies will excite and mobilize voters to defeat Donald Trump in Wisconsin and across the country.
 
“Donald Trump won Wisconsin by 23,000 votes. But our problem was we had a big dropoff in Democratic voters. About 250,000 Democrats,” Pocan says in the video to Sanders’ amazement. “Your position around working families and making sure that you can lift wages, have good family-supporting jobs. We’re desperate for that in Wisconsin.” 
 
The endorsement video can be seen here.
 
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