There are less than two weeks before North Dakota Democrats choose who they want to face Donald Trump in the presidential race, and Bernie Sanders is doing everything he can to win the state's delegates, including opening a campaign office in Grand Forks.
The campaign for the Vermont senator opened an office Saturday at 421 DeMers Ave. The office will be open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day through the North Dakota Democratic caucus, which is June 7.
"It's crunch time," volunteer Oren Howe said. "We're trying to get the word out."
The office will promote Sanders in the Grand Forks area and will inform residents on where they can vote. Howe said he is passionate about Sanders and volunteering is the best way to help the candidate.
The Grand Forks offices has one staff member and numerous volunteers. Anyone who wishes to volunteer should visit the office, Howe said.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Whoever walks in is welcome to come in and volunteer," he added.
Sanders is the only candidate to open an office in Grand Forks. He also has staff in Fargo along with Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton. On May 13, Sanders made several stops in North Dakota, including a surprise visit at the Archives Coffee House on UND's campus.
The Democratic candidate must win 2,383 delegates to secure the nomination, and the first person to do so will face New York businessman Trump, who has secured enough delegates to win the Republican nomination.
Clinton has all but tied up the Democratic nomination by winning 2,310 delegates. Six states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Washington, D.C., have yet to hold their caucuses or primaries, and Sanders, who has 1,542 delegates, would need to win 841 of the 913 delegates left to defeat Clinton.
North Dakota alone has 18 delegates with five superdelegates. But that race could become irrelevant if Clinton wins all of the delegates and superdelegates in the Virgin Islands (12) and Puerto Rico (67). Voters in the Virgin Islands caucus Saturday and Puerto Rico on June 5.
If she does not win at least 73 delegates and superdelegates in those two races, Sanders could have a chance at 806 delegates and superdelegates from the remaining states that will caucus June 7. Washington, D.C., which has 25 superdelegates and 20 delegates, will caucus June 14.
For more information on Sanders' campaign office in Grand Forks, go to bit.ly/1RABY5O.
For more information on where and how to vote, go to demnpl.com/caucus.
