Symone D. Sanders
Symone D. Sanders (born December 10, 1989) is an American political strategist and commentator. She served as national press secretary for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign. She left the campaign abruptly in late June 2016, saying "she was not let go and that leaving the campaign was her decision." In October 2016, she was hired to be a Democratic strategist and political commentator by CNN. In April 2019, Symone Sanders joined the 2020 presidential campaign of former vice president Joe Biden as a senior advisor, and after Biden won election, was named  chief spokesperson and a senior advisor for Vice President Kamala Harris. On December 2, 2021, Sanders announced that she would be resigning from her position by the end of 2021. Early life and education. Sanders was raised in North Omaha, Nebraska. Her father, Daniel Sanders, is retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Her mother, Terri Sanders, is the former publisher of the "Omaha Star" and former executive director for the Great Plains Black History Museum. She attended Sacred Heart Catholic School. As a child, Sanders wanted to grow up to host her own television show. She used to  walk around the house acting as Donna Burns, an imaginary television host. Her first job was working at Time Out Foods in Omaha, a Black-owned restaurant. She graduated from Mercy High School. Sanders attended Creighton University, and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. While in college, she interned at a law firm, where she realized she didn't want to work in law. Career. Sanders worked in the communications department of former Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle and was deputy communications director for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chuck Hassebrook in 2014. Sanders joined the Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign  in August 2015 as the national press secretary. In December, "Fusion" listed Sanders as one of 30 women under 30 who would shape the 2016 election. In June 2016, she quit the Sanders campaign. She joined CNN as an analyst and commentator later that year. That same year, Sanders was recognized as one of 16 Young Americans Shaping the 2016 Election by "Rolling Stone" magazine. She joined the presidential campaign of former vice president Joe Biden. In 2020, she published a memoir, "No, You Shut Up." On November 29, 2020, Sanders was named chief spokesperson and a senior advisor for  Vice President Kamala Harris. On December 1, 2021, Symone Sanders announced her departure from her role as chief spokesperson for the Vice President of the United States. Shortly after, MSNBC announced she would be hosting both a weekend program and a show airing on MSNBC's subscription program, The Choice on Peacock. Personal life. Her partner is Shawn Townsend, Washington D.C.'s "Night Mayor." They live in the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood of Washington, D.C.