The first big hire: ex-aide to Bernie
One of Joe Biden’s first major 2020 presidential campaign moves came at the expense of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The former veep announced Thursday that he had hired Symone Sanders, a prominent African-American political strategist who worked as the press secretary on Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign.
“We are incredibly proud of the diverse and talented team that has come together behind this campaign’s vision to restore the soul of this nation, rebuild the backbone of the country, and unify America,” Biden campaign manager Greg Schultz said in a statement announcing a slew of new hires.
Sanders, 29, a frequent on-air political analyst for CNN, will serve as a senior adviser on Biden’s 2020 bid, adding diversity to the ex-vice president’s entourage, which mainly comprises older white men.
The hire signals Biden is trying to appeal to the young and increasingly influential progressive flank of the Democratic Party.
Spokespeople for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 campaign did not return requests for comment.
Sanders called Biden a “class act” after her new job was announced.
“Over the course of this campaign, Vice President Biden is going to make his case to the American people,” Sanders tweeted. “He won’t always be perfect, but I believe he will get it right.”
Biden entered the crowded 2020 fray Thursday as a clear front-runner among the 20 Democratic candidates who have already announced White House bids.
His association with President Barack Obama and decades of political experience make him popular with Democratic voters, and several early polls have put him at the head of the primary pack.
Sanders, the Vermont senator, has placed second in most of those surveys.