Pete Buttigieg supporters plastered a Salt Lake City bar with campaign posters ahead of a debate watching party on Wednesday. (Photo: Kelli Pierce)
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – As the Democratic presidential candidates traded barbs onstage Wednesday night, their local campaigns used debate watching parties to fire up volunteers.
Sarah Moore lives in Kearns and met up with fellow Pete Buttigieg volunteers and supporters at the Piper Down Pub in Salt Lake City. She says the small gathering made her feel less alone in this red state.
“Being in a group like this it reminds us that we’re not isolated. We’re not by ourselves here. There are other people who feel the way we feel, who are enthusiastic about the things that are our priorities.” Moore said.
Moore believes the bar meetup, along with Buttigieg’s rally in Salt Lake City, is energizing local volunteers ahead of the Super Tuesday primary on March 3rd.
The Bernie Sanders campaign opened its first Utah office in West Valley City on Wednesday, which was where more than 100 supporters gathered to cheer on their candidate and make speeches about why they support the Vermont senator.
Jodi Clemens, the Utah State Coordinator for the Bernie Sanders campaign, thinks watching the debate built unity.
“Just being able to cheer on Bernie together and just share that camaraderie. We did a lot of these in Iowa, that’s where I came from prior to coming to Utah. And just the sense of community that it can build watching the debate together and being able to cheer on Bernie,” Clemens said.
Defeating President Trump was top of mind for many candidates and their campaigns.
The President campaigned one state over from Utah on Wednesday, speaking to thousands of supporters in Phoenix, Arizona.