Tour the Dems’ Campaign HQs with PolitickerNV.com Part II

As part of our effort to bring you the most complete pre-debate and pre-convention coverage possible, PolitickerNV.com is visiting the Democratic presidential candidates’ campaign headquarters in Las Vegas today to give you an inside peak.

Here’s what we found as well as a summary of each campaign’s organization here in Nevada.

Barack Obama:

Sen. Obama's HQ on E. FlamingoSenator Obama’s headquarters at 3041 E. Flamingo Rd. is only one of seven offices that he has opened throughout the state. Other offices include two more in Las Vegas as well as one office each in Carson City, Reno, Elko, and Pahrump. Volunteers who arrive at Obama HQ are immediately greeted and put to work phone-banking or making signs and the office itself has an air of energy and excitement. According to Communications Director Shannon Gilson, the phone banks have already called into every one of Nevada’s more than 1,700 precincts. The campaign has more than 50 field organizers working, which is the majority of the more than 60 paid staff throughout the state. Gilson is quick to point out that Obama has more people working in the state than any other candidate, Republican or Democrat. She added that these organizers have identified and activated “thousands” of supporters in Nevada.

“The Obama for America campaign in Nevada has built the strongest organization across the state,” said Gilson. “We have more offices than any other candidate and we have thousands of active supporters who are committed to this campaign for change in America.”

Volunteer Beverly Warrant, 45, of Las Vegas, hadn’t volunteered for a campaign before but came out to help Obama. “They really make you feel a part of something here,” she said. “I’ve never met a group of people like this in my life, everyone’s helpful, nice, pleasant. Every day, I’ve never come in here disappointed.”

John Edwards:

Former Sen. John Edwards' campaign HQ on S. Pecos Blvd.The Edwards campaign headquarters on S. Pecos Blvd. serves more as an administrative center than a volunteer workplace. Most of Edwards’ phone-banking occurs at the Carpenter’s Union phone-bank, whose infrastructure has provided much needed resources to a campaign that hasn’t had the fundraising success of Sens. Clinton and Obama. There is one other Edwards office in Reno currently, and the campaign is preparing to open another in Elko. Adam Bozzi, the state communications director, declined to discuss numbers of paid staff, volunteers and precinct captains, citing internal strategy. Additionally, he declined to allow PolitickerNV.com to take a “virtual tour” of the campaign headquarters.

“We have very active politics in both Las Vegas and Reno,” said Bozzi. “One thing that we’re proud of is we probably have the second most political endorsements. Clinton’s first, we’re second, and whoever’s third is a distant third. We don’t have all the big name endorsements, the bright lights, but we have a lot of worker bees here.”

More to follow…

And be sure to check back later in the day to take a “virtual tour” of the Obama campaign headquarters.