SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Despite the New York Democratic Primary being two months away and Super Tuesday on the calendar in less than a week, Senator Elizabeth Warren’s campaign is beginning its efforts in Central New York. The campaign hosted a volunteer organizing and training event on Wednesday called Syracuse Barnstorm.
“This is just an effort from the national campaign staff to come to town and offer some help,” Thomas Keck, a delegate pledge for the Warren campaign, said. “[It’s to] rally the troops and give us some tools and trainings to help with our organizing efforts.”
Syracuse is just one location where the Warren campaign is training volunteers.
“Organizing staff from the national campaign office in Boston are doing what they call a barnstorm tour across Connecticut and New York,” Keck said. “They’re stopping in various cities across Upstate New York and doing events.”
About 50 volunteers attended the Syracuse Barnstorm and were trained by a staffer from the Warren headquarters. Topics included:
- The correct practices of canvasing
- Coming up with Central New York campaign events
- Learning how to operate three apps the campaign uses
- How to properly conduct campaign phone calls and send text messages
The majority of the event was spent going over the campaign apps, which is an unfamiliar addition to volunteering for many who attended, including Vinessa Buckland.
“Well I haven’t worked on a national campaign in a long time and not with modern technology,” Buckland said. “You know, we didn’t have smart phones the last time I did a presidential campaign.”
Buckland left the Democratic Party 10 years ago, but still wanted to attend the event and volunteer for Warren’s campaign. She wants to be a politically active citizen and still have an impact on the primary election, even though she cannot vote in it.
“I find [Elizabeth Warren] very inspiring,” Buckland said. “I like how she has viable plans for accomplishing the goals that many of us want.”
Senator Warren has not claimed victory in the first three primary caucuses and elections, but with over a third of delegates up for grabs on Super Tuesday, things could change. Warren is currently fourth in both national and New York polls.
Warren’s Syracuse Barnstorm is the first event of a soon-to-be busy political time in New York. Senator Warren is the second presidential hopeful to take action in the Empire State. Her opponent and former New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, announced last week that he is opening 20 offices across the state, including one in Syracuse.
