With Bernie Sanders surging for the top place after winning the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire Primary, local efforts have also begun to spring up in hopes of successfully campaigning for Sanders in the Southeast.
Jared Roach, an ABAC student majoring in rural community development and President of ABAC Democrats, has already gradually begun to build a following in Tifton. Roach, however, will have some trouble rallying for Sanders and understands this.
In the 2018 Gubernatorial race, 52.7 percent of the state voted conservative. While six percent of the votes might seem like a small margin to overcome, Roach also has to campaign against other democratic nominees.
On Feb. 18, Roach hosted a meeting for those interested in becoming part of the movement for South Georgia at Espresso 41. Roach had Sanders paraphernalia including stickers, booklets and pins.
Roach also introduced the Bern App to newcomers. This application encourages younger followers to connect with other campaign efforts around the nation. You can also find out ways to volunteer, videos on the ongoing campaign, future events for Sanders and links to podcasts, issues, donations and their social media accounts. Roach talked about future plans for the race and also about how to connect with the people in red counties.
“It’s all about giving the power back to the people, and that reaches everyone, regardless of political stance,” said Roach, “They [red counties] just want to say that ‘Sanders is a socialist,’ but the thing is, Bernie is rallying around kitchen table issues. These are things that people know need to change.”
“I don’t want to see my friends and family struggle anymore. There’s a lot of people who can’t afford healthcare or can’t afford to go to college,” he continued.
Roach also talked about how they plan to really “hit the ground running” if Sanders wins the nomination. This includes canvassing, phone calls and public rallies. Rural America is also a key platform for Roach. “Rural America is being hurt, and all people like to talk about is urban cities,” he said. For rural communities and the future of America, Roach thinks “he’s [Sanders] offering the best path forward and he cares about people.”
“We had so many great conversations and support during our tabling on Wednesday, that I’m thinking about hosting a table one day every week until the primary,” stated Roach.
If you would like to get involved, you can contact Jared Roach at jroach2@stallions.abac.edu.
