With presidential candidates far away, their NC campaigns find ways to get creative
It was a rainy Friday night and the north Charlotte brewery was buzzing, not with the clinking of beer glasses but the busy chatter of campaign volunteers armed with plastic markers.
Guided by campaign organizers, about two dozen supporters of Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren bent over long tables making signs for the next day’s Women’s March.
With most presidential candidates themselves far away, it was one of hundreds of events that their campaigns have been doing in North Carolina to energize volunteers, recruit supporters and ultimately win voters.
Nearly a dozen candidates have trekked to North Carolina since spring. But they’ve spent most of their time in the early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. Those February contests kick off Tuesday with the Iowa caucuses.
So it’s events like the poster night, wonky policy meetings and social gatherings like “Pete-ups” that have dominated the activity of presidential campaigns in North Carolina, one of 16 states that vote March 3.
“Candidates, really since the beginning of social media, have found that is effective as a way of engaging volunteers, energizing them and giving them something to do that makes them feel part of the campaign — even if the candidate is not there,” said Eric Heberlig, a UNC Charlotte political scientist.
“It’s a way of pulling them in and getting them emotionally invested in the campaign. One commitment leads to the next. You ask them to do small things and that builds up into more small things and eventually bigger things.”
‘Butti-bashes’ and surrogates
Warren’s campaign, which started organizing in North Carolina last fall, has been on the ground longer than any of her competitors and now has around 30 paid staffers in the state.
Businessman Tom Steyer opened an office in the Triangle this month, and plans to open another Saturday in Charlotte. His campaign, meanwhile, is planning separate events in the state around Black History Month.
North Carolina supporters of former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg have sponsored trivia nights, policy discussions and holiday “Butti-bashes.”
“People love talking about Mayor Pete,” said John Wood of Durham, state communication director for Buttigieg’s grass-roots campaign. “We don’t need him in the state to do what we’re doing . . . but we need him to win.”
The state also has seen a growing number of surrogates.
Last weekend U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders sent high-profile surrogates, actor Tim Robbins and national co-chair Nina Turner, to Chapel Hill, Greensboro and Charlotte.
This week former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter opened a Greensboro field office for Michael Bloomberg, who has by far the biggest operation in North Carolina. The campaign also has sent author Tim O’Brien and Diana Taylor, the candidate’s partner, to the Triangle and elsewhere in the state.
“The value of surrogates is it gives voters a different perspective of the candidate based on personal stories on being friends, family and even business associates,” said Bloomberg campaign spokeswoman LaToya Evans. “It often provides us the context at the human level on why the candidate, and particularly Mike, should be the Democratic nominee.”
Saturating the airwaves
Bloomberg not only has by the far the biggest paid staff in North Carolina, more than 100 according to Evens, but he has blitzed the airwaves. At one point in early January he’d spent $5 million on TV ads across the state.
“It’s interesting to me to see the different approaches people have,” said Meredith College political scientist David McLennan. “Bloomberg is totally saturating the airwaves.”
Other candidates have a quieter presence.
Former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign just hired a state director. But after eight years in the Obama White House, Biden is no stranger to North Carolinians. He still leads the field according to a recent Public Policy Polling survey.
“He doesn’t have the biggest presence on the ground but his name recognition certainly helps him,” McLennan said.
At north Charlotte’s Bold Missy Brewery, the Warren volunteers hunkered down making signs for the Women’s March.
“The best candidate money can’t buy,” read one.
For some, it was a way to get involved.
“I think we’re all excited about Elizabeth Warren,” said volunteer Scarlett Hollingsworth of Matthews. “This year is critical. I saw what happened when I didn’t participate in the last election. I got woke.”
This story was originally published January 31, 2020 at 5:30 AM with the headline "With presidential candidates far away, their NC campaigns find ways to get creative."
