Lifelong Republican Changes Party to Vote for Bernie Sanders Who ‘Won't Send Her Kids to War'
By Stephanie Chuang, Lisa Fernandez and Cheryl Hurd ••
A longtime Los Banos Republican changes her party, and support Bernie Sanders because she feels he won’t send her children to war. Stephanie Chuang reports.
A lifelong Republican from Los Banos changed her party affiliation to support a candidate who is perhaps the polar opposite of her usual choice: Bernie Sanders.
Karina Karancho told her mother's story Wednesday morning at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose, ahead of Sanders' 1 p.m. rally and with California's June 7 primary less than a month away.
"My mom has six kids in the military," Karancho said, "and she always felt the Republicans were her choice."
But her mom changed political affiliations this year so she could vote for the most liberal and progressive of leaders.
Riya Bhattacharjee
Two Bernie Sanders supporters show up shirtless for the Democratic presidential candidate at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose. May 18, 2016
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Young Bernie Sanders supporters display "FREE HUG" and "BABE 4 BERN" painted on their chests at the Democratic presidential contender's rally at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose, Calif. May 18, 2016
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A Bernie Sanders supporter "feeling the bern" in the hot 90-degree weather as he awaits the Democratic presidential contender's arrival at his San Jose, Calif. rally stop. May 18, 2016
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Bernie Sanders supporters displaying their red, white and blue fashion statement at the Democratic presidential contender's San Jose, Calif. rally stop. May 18, 2016
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Star Wars-themed "Stand With Bernie We Will. Restore the Republic, We Must" displayed on Sanders supporter T-shirt. May 18, 2016
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Bernie Sanders supporters holds up a sign as she awaits for the Democratic presidential contender to arrive at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds for his San Jose, Calif. rally stop. May 18, 2016
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Sanders supporter displaying "Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for "Bernie signs at the "A Future to Believe In" rally in San Jose, Calif. at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. May 18, 2016
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Bernie Sanders shakes hands with supporters at this San Jose, Calif. rally stop. May 18, 2016
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Bernie Sanders supporter proudly wears her Sanders t-shirt at the Democratic presidential contender's San Jose, Calif. rally stop. May 18, 2016
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"Feel the Bern" t-shirts on sale at the Bernie Sanders rally at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose, Calif. May 18, 2016
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Bernie Sanders supporters eagerly await the Democratic presidential contender's arrival at a San Jose, Calif. rally. May 18, 2016
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Crowd erupts with excitement upon Bernie Sanders arrival at his San Jose, Calif. rally stop. May 18, 2016
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Bernie Sanders speaks to supporters at a rally on May 18, 2016 at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose, Calif.
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Bernie Sanders supporters in attendance at the Democratic presidential contender's rally in San Jose, Calif. May 18, 2016
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Bernie vs. Trump sign spotted in the crowd at the Democratic presidential contender's San Jose, Calif. rally stop. May 18, 2016
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A Bernie Sanders fan shows her support for the Democratic presidential contender with her patriotic socks. May 16, 2016
Ariel Nava
Bernie Sanders supporters hold up their signs: "A Future to Believe in". May 18, 2016
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Joan Baez, American folk singer and activist, entertains the crowd at a Bernie Sanders rally in San Jose at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. May 18, 2016
Ariel Nava
The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur speaks at Bernie Sanders rally in San Jose at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. May 18, 2016
"She doesn’t trust Trump with her kids," Karancho said of her mother's dislike for the Republican front-runner. "Bernie Sanders won’t send her kids to war."
Karancho was one of several Sanders supporters awaiting the Vermont senator's second trip to the Bay Area in less than two weeks. She held a sign that read, "Enough is enough. The status quo isn’t working."
Bernie Sanders gets a huge welcome in Okaland Tuesday.
Later Wednesday, Sanders will head to Vallejo for his second "A Future to Believe In" rally was slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Vallejo Waterfront Park, where 18,000 people are expected to attend.
It’s obvious why a political candidate would head to the wealthy Silicon Valley to campaign. NBC Bay Area political analyst Larry Gerston noted that Sanders was likely visiting Vallejo, about an hour north of San Jose, as well, because he wants to find not just money, but votes.
Gerston described Vallejo’s constituency as "blue-collar workers... disaffected from the mainstream Democratic party that he thinks he can capture."
But resident Peter Brooks disputed that notion, saying Sanders must approve of Vallejo’s can-do attitude in the face of adversity.
"Vallejo pulled itself out of bankruptcy," Brooks said Tuesday night. "Vallejo is the hottest real-estate market; the people in Vallejo care about each other."
