A key to any successful Iowa Caucus campaign is having a broad base of support distributed throughout the state’s 99 counties, rather than pockets of strong support here and there. It’s particularly important here because of the way delegates are apportioned — you can’t simply run up the score in one area while doing poorly everywhere else.
To that end, Bernie Sanders’ campaign released a list of 99 notable progressive leader endorsements in all of Iowa’s 99 counties today.
“In 2016, the political revolution was sparked here in Iowa when thousands of working people came together in a show of grassroots strength to say that we should create a government and an economy that works for all,” said Sanders’ Iowa state director Misty Rebik. “We’re happy to say that in 2019, our grassroots movement is stronger than ever. Taking on the corporations and special interests that have a stranglehold on our economy is tough work but I’m confident that the power of this statewide network of grassroots organizers can defeat them and deliver us a victory on caucus night.”
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Some are familiar activist names from Sanders’ last run, including David Johnson of Cedar County and Brenda Brink of Story County. Others, like Boone County Soil and Water Commissioner April Burch, are progressives who went on to run for office or got more involved in their county or state party after Sanders’ last run.
Sanders’ campaign, which started off the cycle with a massive, pre-built volunteer network in Iowa from the 2016 Iowa Caucus, is well-positioned to fight for viability in every precinct. In a wide-open race with such a large field, it’s unlikely that even the front-runners end up meeting the 15% viability required in the vast majority of Iowa precincts.
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A New York Times analysis from the summer showed Sanders with the most donations across Iowa (and most of the country), demonstrating the breadth of his grassroots support.
For caucus night, that means more experienced volunteers in as many precincts as possible to wrangle Sanders supporters and attempt to sway others to join.
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Here’s the full list of all 99 county progressive leaders for Sanders:
Adair County
Carmen Hawley – Legal Secretary and Adair County Activist
Adams County
Mike Miller – Labor Activist and Retired American Postal Workers Union member
Allamakee County
Irene Lewey – Retired Retail Worker Allamakee County Democratic Activist
Appanoose County
Karen Garland – Appanoose County Democratic Activist
Audubon County
Nathaniel Stephens – Social Worker
Benton County
Daniel McDonald – Benton County Democratic Activist
Black Hawk County
Laura and Daren Adams – Disability Activists
Boone County
April Burch – Boone County Soil and Water Commissioner
Bremer County
Teresa Meyer – Registered Nurse and Board of Trustees; Hawkeye Community College
Buchanan County
Kayla Norman – Community Activist and In-Home Caregiver
Buena Vista County
Topiz Martinez – Small Business Owner and Political Activist
Butler County
Garry Krull – Retired Carpenter and Butler County Activist
Calhoun County
Emma Schmidt – Democratic Party State Central Committee Member
Carroll County
Troy Hofer – Carroll County Activist
Cass County
Natalia Ramirez – Cass County Democratic Activist
Cedar County
David Johnson – Former West Branch City Council Member
Cerro Gordo County
Chris Petersen – Farming and Agriculture Activist
Cherokee County
Molly Stines – Student Activist
Chickasaw County
Gatlin Anderson – Chickasaw County Activist and Bernie 2016 Delegate
Clarke County
Donna Aschan – Right to a Secure Retirement Activist
Clay County
Jay Lyon – Clay County Activist
Clayton County
Jeremy Bergan – Clayton County Democratic Activist
Clinton County
Jay Saxon – Retired Political Coordinator; Steelworkers Local 105
Crawford County
Jessie Rasmussen – Student Activist
Dallas County
Joseph Arceneaux – Dallas County Activist
Davis County
Kevan Bogert – Township Clerk; Drakesville
Decatur County
Stacey Ramsey – Information Security Analyst and Decatur County Activist
Delaware County
Brett Hutchinson – Delaware County Democratic Activist
Des Moines County
Ryan Rogers – Des Moines County Activist
Dickinson County
William Froendt – Medicare for All Activist
Dubuque County
Briana Moss – Dubuque County Democrats Central Committee Member
Emmet County
Sarah and Alan Morphew – Small Business Owners and Emmet County Activists
Fayette County
Hannah Frederick – Fayette County Democratic Activist
Floyd County
Ethan Vorhes – Farming and Agriculture Activist
Franklin County
Devin Brown – Foundry Specialist and Franklin County Activist
Fremont County
Lauri Lincoln – Fremont County Democratic Activist
Greene County
Bradley Tronchetti – Farmer and Activist
Grundy County
Jill Stumberg – Social Worker
Guthrie County
Amber Lopez – Guthrie County Activist
Hamilton County
Steven Pahl – Former Chairman of United Auto Workers Local 442
Hancock County
Patricia Frayne – Medicare for All Activist
Hardin County
Nick Schutt – Farming and Agriculture Activist
Harrison County
Heather Pearson – Climate Change Organizer
Henry County
Daniel Clark – Henry County Activist
Howard County
Sue George – Rural Activist
Humboldt County
Betty Conlon – Democratic Party Activist
Ida County
Allan Yeager – Ida County Democratic Activist
Iowa County
McKenna McCaw – Iowa County Democratic Activist
Jackson County
Sandra Gilliart – Jackson County Activist
Jasper County
Linda Christenson -Jasper County Activist
Jefferson County
Diane Rosenberg – Social Justice Activist Factory Farm Fighter
Johnson County
Jon Green – Lone Tree Mayor
Tom Carsner – Union Steward American Federation of Teachers
Jones County
Markie Camp – Jones County Community Activist
Keokuk County
Melody Jarrard – Keokuk County Democratic Activist
Kossuth County
Melissa Fox – Medicare for All Activist
Lee County
Carrie Duncan – Labor Activist and member of IAMAW Local 1010
Linn County
Eldon Wohlleben – Former School Board Member – Linn-Mar Community School District
Louisa County
Julie Briggs – Registered Nurse and Louisa County Activist
Lucas County
Genasee Post – Hy-Vee Warehouse Worker and Lucas County Activist
Lyon County
Lisa Stevens – Lyon County Democratic Activist
Madison County
Wade Lester – Madison County Democratic Activist and IBEW Local 347 member
Mahaska County
Kaitlin Trainer – Kindergarten Teacher and Mahaska County Activist
Marion County
Heather Cadwell – Education Activist
Marshall County
Ramona Chavez-Lopez – Immigration Activist
Mills County
Trevor Yilk – Mills County Activist
Mitchell County
Neil Miller – Medicare for All Activist
Monona County
Jennifer Kennedy – Student Activist
Monroe County
Riley Waters – Monroe County Activist and IBEW Local 13 member
Montgomery County
Jennifer Horner – Montgomery County Democratic Activist
Muscatine County
Alexis Huscko – Muscatine County Activist
O’Brien County
Caleb Schreurs – Student Activist
Osceola County
Scott Arneson – Osceola County Democratic Activist
Page County
Laura Tumak-Hickey – Rural Activist
Palo Alto County
Jane Schnieders – Farming Activist
Plymouth County
Carson Reimenschneider – Plymouth County Activist
Pocahontas County
Joseph Hereid – Pocahontas County Democratic Activist
Polk County
Patrick Bourgeacq Pinzón – Academic Director and Community Leader
Pottawattamie County
Pat Coffman – Nursing Home Program Coordinator and Health Care Activist
Poweshiek County
Jamie Nelson – Community Education Activist and NEA member
Ringgold County
Mark Edwards – Campaign Finance Reform Activist
Sac County
Robert Theulen – Sac County Democratic Activist
Scott County
Maria Bribriesco – Former Deputy State Director for LULAC-Iowa
Shelby County
Laura Anderson – Workers Rights Activist
Sioux County
Jessica Butler – Rural Activist
Story County
Brenda Brink – Clean Water Activist
Tama County
Margaret Rebik – Retired Vice President of UFCW 1149
Taylor County
Lara Schenck – Community Organizer
Union County
Deb Marlin – Small Business Owner and Health Care Activist
Van Buren County
Kurt Mielke – Van Buren County Democratic Activist
Wapello County
Loma Benge – Health Care Activist
Warren County
James Insley – Farming Activist
Washington County
Gabrielle Frederick – Kalona School Board Member
Wayne County
Dylan Jones – Teacher and Community Activist
Webster County
Dave Haynes – Webster County Democratic Activist
Winnebago County
Micah Heimdlal – Glass Installer and Winnebago County Activist
Winneshiek County
Ellen Rockne – Small Business Owner and Arts Activist
Woodbury County
Jacqueline Becke – Woodbury County Democratic Activist
Worth County
Jim Berge – Former Worth County Democratic Party Chair
Wright County
James Bird – Climate Change and Health Care Activist
by Pat Rynard
Posted 9/25/19
