The Vermont senator backed Kim in her 2016 state Senate run and push for Free City College

Sen. Bernie Sanders (center) and then-Supervisor Jane Kim (left) meet with Phil Jabers, founder of Philz Coffee (right) during Kim’s 2016 state Senate campaign, which Sanders backed. (Courtesy Jane Kim)

Former San Francisco supervisor and 2018 mayoral candidate Jane Kim confirmed on Friday that she will be heading Bay Area campaign operations for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

The Vermont senator backed Kim in her 2016 bid for San Francisco’s state Senate seat and supported her efforts to implement a free tuition program for San Francisco residents at City College of San Francisco.

After serving two terms on the Board of Supervisors, Kim, who termed out earlier this year, is set to begin working on Sanders’ campaign next week.

“It’s incredibly exciting to support the senator again in 2020 — not only to support a senator who is about beating Trump but about winning an agenda for every day Americans,” Kim told the San Francisco Examiner on Friday. “We have to change the lives of everyday Americans economically … and to pursue economic justice.”

Kim said that her role in Sanders’ campaign will be focused on “building out a grassroots operation that is grounded in community” to win the state.

She will be joining a diverse and high profile slate of hires for Sanders campaign that includes Faiz Shaquir, former political director of the national American Civil Liberties Union, as campaign manager and anti-poverty advocate and Democratic National Committee member Susie Shannon as California political director.

“From his first run [Sanders] has really been listening, having time and resources to bring in diverse leadership into his campaign,” said Kim. “He understands that he does not represent everyone — he is bringing in women, people of color, and LGBTQ folks into his campaign.”

lwaxmann@sfexaminer.com

Politics

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