Symone D. Sanders

Symone D. Sanders (born December 10, 1989)[1][2] is an American political strategist and commentator. She served as national press secretary for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign. She left the campaign in late June 2016 abruptly but said "she was not let go and that leaving the campaign was her decision."[3] In October 2016, she was hired to be a Democratic strategist and political commentator by CNN.[4] In April 2019, Symone Sanders joined the 2020 presidential campaign of former vice president Joe Biden as a senior advisor,[5][6] and after Biden won election, was named chief spokesperson and a senior advisor for Vice President Kamala Harris.[7]

Symone D. Sanders
Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson to the Vice President
Assumed office
January 20, 2021
Vice PresidentKamala Harris
Preceded byPosition Established
Personal details
Born (1989-12-10) December 10, 1989
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationCreighton University (BBA)
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life and education

Sanders was raised in North Omaha, Nebraska.[8] Her father, Daniel Sanders, is retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.[9] Her mother, Terri Sanders, is the former publisher of the Omaha Star and former executive director for the Great Plains Black History Museum.[8][9]

She attended Sacred Heart Catholic School.[10] As a child, Sanders wanted to grow up to host her own television show. She used to walk around the house acting as Donna Burns, an imaginary television host.[1]

Her first job was working at Time Out Foods in Omaha, a Black-owned restaurant.[11] She graduated from Mercy High School.[10]

Sanders attended Creighton University, and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration.[12] While in college, she interned at a law firm, which helped her realize that she did not want to work in law.[11]

Career

Sanders worked in the communications department of former Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle and was deputy communications director for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chuck Hassebrook in 2014.[12][10]

Sanders joined the Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign in August 2015 as the national press secretary.[12] In December, Fusion listed Sanders as one of 30 women under 30 who would shape the 2016 election.[13]

In June 2016, she quit the Sanders campaign.[14] She joined CNN as an analyst and commentator later that year.[15] That same year, Sanders was recognized as one of 16 Young Americans Shaping the 2016 Election by Rolling Stone magazine.[16]

She joined the presidential campaign of former vice president Joe Biden.[5][6] In 2020, she published a memoir, No, You Shut Up.[1] On November 29, 2020, Sanders was named chief spokesperson and a senior advisor for Vice President Kamala Harris.[17]

Works
  • No, You Shut Up: Speaking Truth to Power and Reclaiming America. New York: Harper (2020). ISBN 0062942689

Personal life

Her partner is Shawn Townsend.[1] They live in the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood of Washington, D.C.[18]

References
  1. Leibovich, Mark (July 3, 2020). "Symone Sanders Bet on Biden, and Herself". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  2. "Sunday's birthdays". POLITICO. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  3. Joyce, Andrew (June 26, 2016). "Symone Sanders Quits As National Press Secretary for Bernie Sanders". Fusion. Archived from the original on October 26, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  4. "BIO – Symone D. Sanders". Symonedsanders.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  5. Floyd, Jessica A. (May 22, 2019). "Black Staff Matters: Behind the Scenes with the Biden 2020 Team". Ebony. Archived from the original on May 30, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  6. "Ex-Bernie Sanders Press Secretary Joins Biden's Campaign As Senior Adviser". HuffPost. April 25, 2019. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  7. Linskey, Annie; Stein, Jeff (November 29, 2020). "Biden hires all-female senior communications team, names Neera Tanden director of OMB". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  8. Sanderford, Aaron (November 29, 2020). "Omaha's Symone Sanders will be chief spokeswoman for VP-elect Kamala Harris". Omaha World-Herald. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  9. Tysver, Robynn. "Creighton grad Symone Sanders brings trademark energy to role as Bernie Sanders' press secretary". Omaha.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  10. "'We just saw what was happening and jumped in': Omaha's Symone Sanders on that protester takedown". The North Platte Telegraph. March 4, 2020. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  11. Feller, Madison (September 24, 2020). "From Bernie to Biden: Symone Sanders on Her Historic Career and What's Next". ELLE. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  12. Tysver, Robynn (October 16, 2019). "Creighton grad Symone Sanders brings trademark energy to role as Bernie Sanders' press secretary". Omaha World-Herald. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  13. "Meet the 30 Women Who Will Change the Election". Fusion. Archived from the original on October 28, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  14. Landers, Elizabeth (June 27, 2016). "Sanders press secretary exits campaign". CNN. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  15. Strauss, Daniel (December 22, 2019). "Why Symone Sanders Went From Bernie to Biden". Politico. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  16. "16 Young Americans Shaping the 2016 Election". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 25, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  17. Reuters Staff (November 29, 2020). "Biden picks top campaign aides in key communications roles". Reuters. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  18. Linskey, Annie (July 3, 2020). "Symone Sanders, Biden's top African American aide, faces pressure from all sides". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
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