Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) could do a “better job” of promoting his polices to communities of color, according to spokeswoman Briahna Joy Gray.
“I do think of course the senator could do a better job of connecting how his policies and programs particularly benefit communities of color,” Gray, a national press secretary for Sanders’s presidential campaign, told Hill.TV’s Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti on Monday.
“When we talk about what issues are meaningful to that community, you often hear immigration,” she added. “But in fact, there are a plethora of issues across the board that are relevant to these communities.”
Gray said that communities of color shouldn’t be put in a box and that Americans, regardless of race, share many of same concerns about issues such as education and the economy.
“These communities shouldn’t be marginalized or somehow put into these small boxes that say black people only care about criminal justice reform,” the spokeswoman said. “They absolutely do, as should all Americans, but insurance, the economy, education — these are all issues that are priorities for all Americans, regardless of their racial background.”
She stressed that Sanders is nevertheless polling well with diverse communities, citing a poll conducted last month by Morning Consult.
That poll found that Sanders was the most popular declared 2020 candidate among African-American voters, with 28 percent support.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, who has yet to launch an official presidential campaign, was the top choice of African-Americans, however, with 31 percent support.
Sanders was criticized during the 2016 Democratic presidential primary for failing to connect with minorities, particularly African-American voters. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton handily beat Sanders in states like South Carolina, where African-Americans have long carried the vote, on her way to capturing the party’s nomination.
—Tess Bonn
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