Elizabeth Warren names Tennessee staff

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren announced her senior Tennessee staff  includes Elizabeth Henderson as state director, Robin Alberts-Marigza as organizing director, and Sara Burklin as regional director for East Tennessee. (Henderson’s appointment was first reported by the Nashville Post’s Stephen Elliot in October.)

“Our campaign is committed to organizing everywhere and visiting parts of the state that are often overlooked in a Democratic primary. We are investing in communities from Memphis to Mountain City, connecting with Tennesseans on what Elizabeth Warren’s plans would mean for them,” Henderson said a statement.

The hires come on the heels of former New York Mayor Bloomberg naming Courtney Wheeler as the Tennessee director
for his Democratic presidential bid. Holly McCall is his state spokeswoman, and state Rep. London Lamar (D-Memphis) will serve as outreach director. Additional staffers include political director Ashford Hughes, digital director Spencer Bowers, and senior adviser Carol Andrews. Bloomberg visited Nashville and Memphis last week.

Billionaire Tom Steyer hired Tequila Johnson of The Equity Alliance and the Tennessee Black Voter Project as his state director.

Here’s the full release from the Warren campaign:

Nashville, TN – Today, Tennessee for Warren announced three senior staff hires, with over a dozen paid staff on the ground in Tennessee. The announcement follows months of outreach to voters across the state.
 
Elizabeth Warren was the first candidate of the primary cycle to visit Tennessee in March of 2019 when she held a town hall in Memphis. Over the past several months the Warren campaign became the first to open a field office in the state, and has held organizing events in every corner of Tennessee — including barnstorms in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. Team Tennessee for Warren has already organized canvasses and house parties in over two dozen counties. The team has been on the ground since October 2019.
 
“Our campaign is committed to organizing everywhere and visiting parts of the state that are often overlooked in a Democratic primary. We are investing in communities from Memphis to Mountain City, connecting with Tennesseans on what Elizabeth Warren’s plans would mean for them,” said State Director Elizabeth Henderson. “Our team includes not just experienced campaign hands but also rural organizers, teachers, social justice organizers — grassroots leaders that have been on the ground fighting for working families in their communities for years. Together, we are building a grassroots movement to fight for big, structural change and put power in the hands of all Tennesseans.”

Senior staff bios:
 
Elizabeth Henderson – State Director
 
Prior to serving as Tennessee State Director for the Warren campaign, Elizabeth previously worked as Tennessee State Director for Organizing for Action (OFA) and The Wilderness Society. A Nashville native, she has also worked as the Field Director on Karl Dean’s 2018 gubernatorial campaign and various other political campaigns. She previously worked with Run for Something, a group that supports progressive candidates in down-ballot races across the country and America Votes, a state-based coalition that aims to coordinate and promote progressive issues.
 
Robin Alberts-Marigza – Organizing Director
 
Robin is a Nashville native, and currently serves as the Tennessee statewide Organizing Director for Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign. Prior to joining the campaign, she consulted with TIRRC Votes as their Campaigns Director for the 2018 and 2019 election cycles, working to build electoral power among immigrant communities and their allies across the state. She previously served as Campaign Manager for Jeff Yarbro for State Senate, and worked for U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper.

Sara Burklin – East TN Regional Organizing Director
 
Sara Burklin is Tennessee for Warren’s East Tennessee Regional Organizing Director. Prior to her current role on the Warren campaign, she served as Campaign Manager for Gloria Johnson’s 2018 State House race and Campaign Manager for 2019 Knoxville Mayoral Indya Kincannon. She graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South, and has a track record of successfully electing progressive women in traditionally Republican-leaning parts of Tennessee.