Bernie Sanders supporters in New Haven say outreach is key

Leading a Bernie Sanders organizational meeting Thursday in New Haven are, from left, state events coordinator Kara Rochelle, volunteer coordinator Sarah Ganong and 3rd District coordinator Bonita Yarboro. Leading a Bernie Sanders organizational meeting Thursday in New Haven are, from left, state events coordinator Kara Rochelle, volunteer coordinator Sarah Ganong and 3rd District coordinator Bonita Yarboro. Photo: Ed Stannard — New Haven Register Photo: Ed Stannard — New Haven Register Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Bernie Sanders supporters in New Haven say outreach is key 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

NEW HAVEN >> Bernie Sanders doesn’t have an official presidential campaign operation in Connecticut — he doesn’t have the money now to form one in this small, late-primary state — so the meeting of 16 supporters Thursday night was running on grass-roots volunteer energy.

The organizational meeting at the Fair Haven Branch Library on Grand Avenue was relatively small, said state events coordinator Kara Rochelle, because it was the second organizer held in the congressional 3rd District. Fifty supporters of Sanders came out to the first one, and 30 more came to a training session in Shelton Sunday, she said.

“He doesn’t have the same kind of funding to have an official campaign in every state,” Rochelle said. All of the Connecticut people are volunteers but, “We’re all people who in one way or another know how to do this already.”

As she and Bonita Yarboro, 3rd District coordinator, explained the opportunities available — outreach, canvassing (including in New Hampshire, the first primary state), events and media — the group showed its support for the independent U.S. senator from Vermont who is running for the Democratic nomination for president with a small dig at his biggest challenger, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“She got in and out real fast and it was only in Greenwich” for a fundraiser on Sept. 25 at which her supporters paid the maximum donation of $2,700 per plate, for a $200,000 take.

Sanders, on the other hand, claims to have received 1 million online donations, averaging about $25 each.

But the educational outreach is just as important as the donations, said Yarboro. “As people get to know about him more people want to vote for him,” she said.

“The main thing is, he’s always been in the same place” on the issues, “always,” said Ethel Berger.

Still, when asked whether Sanders would be visiting Connecticut, Yarboro had to admit, “Not anytime soon.” Rochelle added, “Right now he’s got to focus on the early primary states.” New Hampshire’s is Feb. 9, 2016; Connecticut’s isn’t until April 26. And while the Granite State is symbolically important, Connecticut is a small state without a lot of delegates.

The group was energized, though, knowing that Sanders, who is leading Clinton in New Hampshire polls, drew 26,000 to a Boston rally Saturday, with an additional 6,000 coming out in Springfield.

Rochelle talked about training to do outreach at events where the campaign will set up tables and distribute fliers. “If you don’t feel like going to Bernie University but still want to be helpful, the next thing is general volunteer work.”

The goal is to “build the network across the state, get the voters out and get the delegates,” Rochelle said, noting that all delegates are not bound by the popular vote in the primary. “It doesn’t end on April 26,” she said.

Speaking of party leaders, she said, “They need to see that we have such a strong machine that their already-organized machine pales in comparison to the human machine.” The support for Sanders needs to be “something to be in awe of,” Rochelle said.

“I think we have the possibility to really have change and I’m feeling really good about what is happening,” said Berger.

Meanwhile, the volunteers broke into small groups, took down email addresses and urged people to check out www.BernieSandersCT.com, the “Bernie Sanders Connecticut Team” Facebook page and @BernieSandersCT on Twitter.

This story has been edited to correct the Web address of BernieSandersCT.com.

Call Ed Stannard at 203-680-9382.