At Politico Daniel Strauss reports on plans for a heightened role for Sanders in support of Democratic presidential nominee Clinton and other party candidates for congress, state and local offices. Strauss notes that the effort is being coordinated by Interim DNC Chairwoman Donna Brazile, former Sanders campaign head Jeff Weaver and state Democratic Party leaders, along with other DNC officials and Sanders aides.
Strauss reports that Brazile met with Weaver and Sanders’ top campaign adviser Mark Longabaugh, followed up by Brazile’s conference call with top Democratic National Committee officials including chief of staff Brandon Davis and state party leaders. The topics discussed “Sanders’ schedule as well as voter mobilization among former Sanders supporters,” notes Strauss, who adds,
Brazile told those on the conference call that Weaver had agreed to help her “through this election process and beyond.”
The call focused on a 50-state strategy for the November election to be implemented soon by members of Clinton’s campaign and Sanders’ former presidential team.
The close interactions between the interim DNC chairwoman and the Sanders campaign is in stark contrast to earlier in the presidential cycle when the campaign criticized now-former DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz as unfairly partial to Clinton.
“I know that sometimes in primaries there can be sharp elbows, and I hope I haven’t bumped into too many of you,” Weaver said on the call. “But as we go forward into the general election, I’m very happy to be working with members of the Clinton team in trying to get the secretary elected.”
Brazile affirmed her determination to strengthen the 50 Democratic state parties and support down-ballot Democratic candidates, and a fund-raising campaign in support of that effort is underway. “Marlon Marshall, the Clinton campaign’s director of states, and Brazile highlighted red states around the country where they thought Democrats could make immediate inroads, including Georgia and North Carolina,” notes Strauss.
“We’re continuing to look at places where we can expand opportunities to vote,” Marshall said. “We’re working to expand early vote sites in some of these places like Florida and North Carolina. And we’re starting our heavy push of recruitment of lawyers” to be at polling locations in battleground states.”
Looking beyond 2016, Brazile reiterated her strong commitment to the 50-state strategy. “We know what’s coming up in 2020. We know what’s coming up in 2018,” she explains. With the DNC, the Sanders and Clinton campaigns working together so well, improved Democratic voter mobilization and turnout should Give Dems an additional edge in 2016 and beyond.
