Page 15 - Florida Sentinel 11-8-19

Local
Black Millennial Dubbed Southern Political Director For Biden
BY JERI YONDER
PHILADELPHIA. PA.— When Vince Evans entered the world of politics he was a teenager starting a week long stint as a page in the Florida Senate. His fascination with this new world took hold and the young man from Green Cove Springs, Florida, began a journey that would secure him a top presidential campaign post. The thirty-one-year-old was hired in July as the South- ern Political Director to former Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign
“I was a Senate Page in high school,” Evans said. “I at- tended Florida A&M Univer- sity, and while there, I interned for then Senate Dem- ocratic Leader Al Lawson. At FAMU, Evans was the go-to guy for winning campaigns.
Candidates for student body president and student senate sought him out. His strategies brought victory to many tal- ented Rattler leaders. “When I graduated from FAMU, I ended up going back to work
for the Florida Senate Demo- cratic Office.”
Evans was able to put his passion for public service to work. Engaging and articulate, he brought energy and enthu- siasm to whatever he was as- signed. His experience includes working for a Talla- hassee City Commissioner Curtis Richardson before fol- lowing U. S. Rep. Lawson to the nation’s capital. Evans also worked for Hilary Clin- ton’s 2016 Presidential Cam- paign doing African-American outreach in North Florida. He also served as a Political Di- rector for 2018 gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum.
The Biden campaign’s focus on outreach to minori- ties and women is critically important in Evans region of responsibilities. The region in- cludes 13 states among them Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Texas and the Carolinas. Florida, his stomping ground, is the prize battleground that delivers the White House. And the chaotic nature of cam- paigns makes him a perfect fit
Evans has the qualities needed to manage the chaotic world of campaigns: the abil- ity to mobilize, reverse course and take corrective ac- tion quickly.
because of his ability to mobi- lize, reverse course and take corrective action quickly.
“Vice President Joe Biden is the candidate I be- lieve should be the next Presi- dent of the United States,” Evans said. “Vice President Biden and I share the same values and we believe strongly the nation needs a new course.”
Evans said having “real
talk” with the voters helps ex- plain the mission of Biden’s campaign.
“I have honest conversa- tions with folks,” Evans said. “Sometimes they are tough discussions; folks are some- times torn between two or more candidates. More often than not, folks want you to level with them and present the facts and eliminate the fluff.”
Kamau Marshall, Direc- tor of Strategic Communica- tions for the Biden Campaign said Evans will assist with key Southern states.
“As the Southern Political Director, Vince adds a lot to the campaign,” Marshall said. “We both have been in politics for a while, along with strong Capitol Hill experience and relationships. We are glad to have Vince a part of Team Biden, especially since he is a native of Florida.”
“I always tell folks that the Vice President sets himself apart from the other Demo- cratic nominees based on his track record of addressing
concerns with healthcare, the environment, violence against women, LGBTQ issues, his long history on Civil Rights that’s why he entered public service as a Public Defender,” Evans said. “This is what the Vice President says all the time and I echo him ‘we can’t take four years of Donald Trump, but eight years of him might fundamentally alter who we are as a nation, the risks are too high right now.’”
Maintaining one’s sanity is important in any political campaign especially a presi- dential campaign. Evans said prayer is one of his strategies. “I stay prayed up,” Evans said. “Once I moved to head- quarters in Philadelphia, I had to find a church to attend be- cause my faith guides me in everything I do. I also have to make time for self-care and take a whole lot of Emergen- C.”
Campaigns can be grueling work,” Evans said. “But we know there’s an end date all of our work pays off with a Biden victory.”
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3-B