Following impressive primary and caucus wins by Bernie Sanders in four states, nurses redouble campaign efforts

Encouraged and energized by Bernie Sanders’ Super Tuesday wins in Minnesota, Colorado, Oklahoma, Vermont, and a virtual tie in Massachusetts, National Nurses United RN members are redoubling efforts to elect their endorsed presidential candidate, with its southern #BernieBus cruising into Florida today in advance of the state’s primary on March 15 to educate voters about why the nation’s most trusted profession trusts Bernie Sanders.

“We are in it to win it,” said Deborah Burger, RN and a member of the National Nurses United Council of Presidents. “We are campaigning for Bernie because it’s the right thing to do. We won’t rest until all 50 states have had their say, and Florida is an important state.”

Florida, considered a swing state with many independent voters, represents 246 delegate votes toward the Democratic Party nomination; it takes 2,383 delegate votes to win.

Nurses have been touring the country, and particularly swing states, since January in their big, red #BernieBus, using it as a mobile voter education vehicle. So far, they have traveled through Iowa, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Missouri -- and have plans to criss cross many more.

“To be able to talk face to face with folks and educate them about Bernie, then hearing them say ‘I never knew that, I’m going to vote for him,’ and knowing by the expression on their face that they were speaking the truth, makes this road trip even more rewarding,” said Kathy Donohue, an RN from California and a board member of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee on the #BernieBus. “Often, they don’t know Bernie and they don’t know the facts, but once you start to talk to them about what Bernie believes in, their eyes open and they really quickly become Bernie supporters. We have a lot more conversations to be had in other states to win this election.”

#BernieBus events for Thursday, March 3

Morning - Nurses and healthcare workers do public voter outreach, Trinity FL

Noon - Meeting RNs during lunch break at Medical Center of Trinity, Trinity FL

Evening - Bus makes appearance at spring training game, Ft. Myers FL

Contact Lucia Hwang (510) 872-8338 or Marie Walcek (510) 517-1871 for more informatiion

One of the top reasons nurses and healthcare workers support Bernie Sanders’ candidacy is his unequivocal demand to expand Medicare to provide healthcare to all residents as a basic human right, not a for-profit enterprise. Florida, with 948,000 uninsured adults, ranks among states with the country’s highest numbers of uninsured, despite passage of the Affordable Care Act. The state’s governor, former hospital corporate executive Rick Scott, has refused to implement the Medicaid expansion provisions of the law.

National Nurses United was the first national union to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders in August 2015. In addition to the #BernieBus, NNU nurse members across the country also continue to knock on doors, phone bank, hold house parties, donate, and participate in rallies, marches, and events supporting Bernie.

With more than 185,000 RN members, National Nurses United is the country’s largest organization and union of registered nurses, with members in all 50 states.