January 18, 2000

County Democratic Party Chairs Join Sanders for Congress Campaign Team
South Central Pennsylvania's Democratic Leaders Sign on to Sanders' Executive Committee

NEW FREEDOM, PA - Today Jeff Sanders announced that the Democratic Party Chairs in each of the three counties that make up the 19th Congressional District have joined the Sanders for Congress team as members of the campaign's Executive Committee. Eugene DePasquale of York County, Gail McDermott of Cumberland County, and Mark Berg of Adams County will serve as Sanders' principal advisors on those issues that impact the lives of the people of South Central Pennsylvania.

"I am thrilled and honored that the outstanding people to whom Democrats in three counties have turned to guide the Party into the future have joined my team," Sanders said. "Their perspectives on the issues that impact the working families, youth, and senior citizens of South Central Pennsylvania will be an invaluable resource to me as my campaign moves forward. Eugene, Gail, and Mark represent the energy and vision in a Democratic Party that stands ready to provide the new leadership that the 19th District sorely needs."

Sanders' message - "New beginnings, Old values" - is based on respecting the past (by protecting our farmers, our veterans, and our history), investing in the present (by strengthening public schools, making health care more affordable, and ensuring a secure retirement for our elderly), and preparing for the future (preserving Social Security and Medicare, paying down the national debt, improving our national security). The three York, Adams, and Cumberland County Chairs believe that Sanders' experience and insight are the right ones at the right time for Democrats and Republicans alike.

"Jeff's work in York County over the years has improved not only our schools but our communities, too," DePasquale said. "As a parent and as a community leader, Jeff will fight for the issues most important to all of York County's working families - paying their taxes, getting their kids into good colleges, and keeping urban sprawl far away from their backyards. His ability to tackle those problems with insight and integrity will make a real difference in the lives of us all. I look forward being a part of Jeff's team."

McDermott said, "I'm excited to be on Jeff's Executive Committee. He is ready and able to be an effective voice for people who have felt ignored for more than thirty years, like women and minorities. I'm confident, though, that his message of improving education, ensuring fiscal responsibility, and strengthening the family farm will reach out to members of both parties in Cumberland County. Jeff's real world experience shows that he has the commitment and motivation to get the job done."

"Jeff really knows what is important to the people of Adams County," Berg said. "His kind of energy and devotion to making life better for his neighbors is rare in a candidate for any office. Furthermore, his experience as a school board president and educator gives him a unique understanding of a broad range of issues, from taxes to health care, that have a lot to do with education. I'm thrilled to be working with him."