Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren? Campaigns make their case to liberal California voters

Ideologically similar, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are competing for support from California’s most liberal voters.

Early voting has already begun in the Golden State, and the two campaigns are working to make their case about why their candidate is worthy of support.

The Vermont and Massachusetts senators have been reluctant to go after each other on the campaign trail, instead choosing to leave it up to voters to draw contrasts and decide for themselves.

But in a discussion Monday at the Sacramento Press Club, state directors for Warren and Sanders began sending signals to potential supporters.

Nicole DeMont of Warren’s campaign described the Massachusetts senator as “the candidate who can unify the party,” suggesting Sanders is too divisive in style and in substance.

She also highlighted Warren’s role in the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and noted how she beat a Republican incumbent.

“She’s the only candidate represented on this stage who has beat a Republican incumbent in the last 30 years, and so, I think that says something,” DeMont said. Sanders defeated a Republican incumbent in November 1990.

Sanders’ campaign is leaning more heavily on an electability argument, playing up the fact that defeating President Donald Trump is the top priority for likely Democratic primary voters. His backers also cite Sanders’ loyal following as a sign their campaign can match Trump’s level of excitement and enthusiasm.

“Obviously the threat we have from the White House is significant, and he has an energized base,” said Rafael Návar, leader of Sanders’ campaign in California. “For us, this is the strongest point on our campaign. If you’re gonna take on Trump and the base that he has, you have to have the most energized base on our side that’s gonna move people to action.”

Sanders consistently beats Trump in national public opinion polls and outperforms Warren in hypothetical general election matchups against the president. He also is performing better than Warren in key battleground states.

A Quinnipiac University poll released Monday found Sanders beating Trump by 8 percentage points, while Warren was ahead by 4 points. Michael Bloomberg and Joe Biden led Trump by 9 points and 7 points, respectively, according to the poll.

Sanders appears to have the upper hand as the two candidates vie for the progressive vote in the most delegate-rich state in the nation. His campaign has 22 offices and 105 paid staff members in California, while Warren has three offices and more than 48 paid staff members.

Sanders has also made nearly three times as many appearances in California as Warren. A Sacramento Bee analysis of candidate visits shows Sanders has participated in two fundraisers and 33 events, while Warren has held 13 events.

“We have the most donors, we have the most volunteers and we have the most energy,” Návar said.

Swirling around them, however, are Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg.

Biden, who was once seen as the major frontrunner, could gain momentum in California if he beats expectations in New Hampshire and wins Nevada and South Carolina. Of the four campaigns in attendance at Monday’s press club event, Biden’s team had the smallest California presence, with just one office and about 20 paid staff members.

Bloomberg can also surge if the first four states fail to produce a major frontrunner.

“Iowa and New Hampshire show there is not a clear-cut candidate, and Michael Bloomberg will fill that void,” said Chris Myers, Bloomberg’s California state director.

Quinnipiac found Bloomberg polling at 15 percent nationally, distantly behind Sanders and narrowly behind Biden. He led Warren by 1 percentage point. Meanwhile, his campaign is flooding California and the country with political ads. CNN found that Bloomberg has spent $351 million on ads since he announced his presidential bid in mid-November.

This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 11:12 AM.