Sanders campaign to launch Spanish ads in Nevada

The campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders plans to launch Spanish radio ads this week in Nevada markets highlighting the Vermont U.S. senator's roots as the son of a Polish immigrant.

The ads, which will air on radio stations in Las Vegas and Reno markets starting Thursday, are part of the campaign's broader efforts to ramp up in advance of the February caucuses, when Democrats and Republicans in Nevada indicate their preferred choice for president. Those caucuses, the first in the West, play an early role in determining who will get the Democratic and Republican nominations for president.

"We now have a full-blown operation in Nevada," said Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver on a conference call with reporters Wednesday.

Other early voting states are New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina.

Sanders' ads will introduce people to the candidate and his activism in the civil rights arena. As a young man, Sanders was at The Mall in Washington when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963. Ads already have launched in Iowa and New Hampshire, too.

"All of those ads are focusing on Bernie Sanders' story," said Tad Devine, a senior strategist with the campaign. "He's the son of a Polish immigrant who came to the United States speaking very little English. He grew up in an immigrant community in Brooklyn."

Jim Farrell, the campaign's Nevada director, said, "In a matter of days, we will open offices in every corner of Clark County as well as Washoe County."

He also noted that Nevada has a large population of veterans, and the campaign hopes Sanders' record of advocating veterans' causes in Congress will resonate with them.

All offices in Clark and Washoe counties will open within the next 12 to 15 days, Farrell said.

Those efforts already have started. A Las Vegas campaign office opened Sunday, with organizers welcoming the public and signing up interested voters.

As for the number of campaign staffers statewide, that figure is fluctuating but is more than 25 and less than 100, according to the campaign.

Sanders' opponents for the Democratic nomination include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner in national polls, and Martin O'Malley, a former Maryland governor.

Sanders will have a rally in North Las Vegas at 7 p.m. Sunday at the soccer fields at Cheyenne Sports Complex, 3500 E. Cheyenne Ave.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Sunday for the event. No tickets are required, but the public is encouraged to RSVP at https://go.berniesanders.com/page/event/detail/rally/4vjjg.

Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904. Follow him on Twitter: @BenBotkin1