Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg currently has 800 organizers and staffers on his payroll, with more than 500 of them spread out among more than 30 states.
While the rest of the primary Democratic presidential candidates have been focused on early voting states, Bloomberg has focused his resources on all 14 Super Tuesday states, a decision that some say could give him an edge.
“Every other campaign is going to have to throw their field organizers from an early state to a Super Tuesday state and just kind of hope it works out,” said Democratic strategist Emily Tisch Sussman, the host of the podcast Your Primary Playlist, according to NBC News. “By putting people in the states so early, Bloomberg will be able to quietly build an infrastructure and relationships while no one else is paying attention.”
The Super Tuesday states include Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia. Bloomberg reportedly has the most staff on the ground in North Carolina, according to a campaign aide.
Although Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg have begun building their campaigns past the January caucus and primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, Bloomberg has pushed further into states often left behind in presidential races.
A Bloomberg aide said the campaign plans to have a dozen field offices in Ohio, while general election battleground states Michigan and Florida currently have nine and 17 offices, respectively.
However, because Bloomberg is funding his own campaign, he is ineligible to participate in presidential primary debates. Democratic National Committee’s rules mandate that candidates meet polling and donor minimums in order to participate.
To date Bloomberg has spent more than $100 million in advertising.
—
Jordyn Pair is a reporter for Battleground State News and The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected].
Photo “Candidate Mike Bloomberg” by Mike2020.
