NBC

Inside Sen. Bernie Sanders' Texas Operation

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders has a campaign office up and running near downtown Dallas. Volunteers are there every day. Lauren Tenney is one of them.

β€œI spend maybe 20 to 50 hours a week doing this,” said Tenney.

Tenney was raised in Vermont and saw Sanders speak when she was 15. She said she has followed him since and he was the reason she voted.

β€œHe has the same message. Income equality, basic rights for everyone,” said Tenney, of Dallas.

Once Sanders said he was in for 2016, so was she.

In the early months of the campaign, volunteers made calls from their homes.

"We could not keep up making phone calls. They recommend when you get people to volunteer, that you call them back within two days to ignite their passion and get them working for you,” she added.

Now that they have an office, it is easier to keep up.

Soon, the campaign will be adding a Fort Worth office as well.

NBC 5 political reporter Julie Fine spoke with Jacob Limon, the Texas Director of the Sanders campaign.

He said they have eight paid staff members in the Lone Star State and they're continuing to hire. Limon said they also have thousands of volunteers.

NBC 5 reached out to Hillary Clinton’s campaign, too. They confirmed that they have staff in Texas as well, including National Political Director Amanda Renteria. She was in Austin on Sunday night hosting an organizing event for Clinton.

Contact Us