2020 Dems head to Las Vegas seeking union support at AFSCME forum


 Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing

August 2, 2019: At least 19 Democrats are heading to Las Vegas to attend the AFSCME public service forum Saturday. Amy Klobuchar said she had reached the grassroots fundraising threshold to qualify for the September Democratic debate.


     Each Friday, we’ll highlight a presidential candidate’s key campaign staffer.
Daily Presidential News Briefing - Staffer Spotlight - Maurice Daniel

Maurice Daniel is a longtime Democratic staffer with experience in the public and private sectors.

Previous campaign work:

  • 1996 Bill Clinton presidential campaign, Ohio state director
  • 1988 Dick Gephardt presidential campaign, field staffer

Other experience:

  • 2014-2019: Metro Strategies, principal
  • 2015-2017: Human Rights First, senior director of government relations
  • 2009-2013: Integrated Capital Strategies, managing director
  • 2004-2010: Eye2eye Communications, political consultant
  • 1997-2000: Office of Vice President Al Gore (D), national director of political affairs
  • 1993-1997: Office of Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), chief of staff
  • 1992: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Midwest Political Desk
  • 1989-1991: Democratic National Committee, Midwest policy director

What he says about Williamson:

“The entitled and those entrenched in the establishment do not want to hear a different message. American voters do.”

Notable Quotes of the Day

“AFSCME [is] essentially laying down a marker here, saying this is an important state. This is an important state for labor. [Nevada] is a place you need to come and state your views, and the fact that they chose Nevada for something like that is very, very significant both for the labor movement and the state.”

– Jon RalstonThe Nevada Independent

“As the Democratic Party shifts toward a more progressive identity, [AFL-CIO President Richard] Trumka reminded 2020 candidates that unions would no longer support candidates simply because of their party affiliation. Unions historically played influential roles in getting Democrats elected through get-out-the-vote efforts, canvassing and other campaigning methods.”

– Danielle Wallace, Fox News

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Republicans

What We’re Reading

Flashback: August 2, 2015

In an interview on CNN’s State of the Union, Chris Christie called the national teachers union “the single most destructive force in public education in America.”