YAPPIE EXCLUSIVE—Michael Bloomberg has tapped former APIAVote National Field Director Eric Salcedo to lead his presidential campaign’s efforts to win over Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, The Yappie has learned.
Salcedo, who left his role at the D.C.-based civic engagement nonprofit earlier this month, has already begun working as National AAPI Outreach Director out of Bloomberg’s Manhattan headquarters. He previously served as the Asian American Liaison for the Illinois Attorney General.
Bloomberg has also picked Democratic presidential rival Andrew Yang’s Deputy Finance Director Neha Chatterjee to serve as his Deputy National AAPI Director. The campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the new hires.
Both Salcedo and Chatterjee will report to the National Constituents and Coalitions Director and are charged with designing “a national multi-level outreach and engagement strategy that recognizes the power of a local approach,” according to a Bloomberg campaign job description viewed by The Yappie.
Bloomberg’s decision to recruit Salcedo, who is well-regarded in the Asian American advocacy world, signals that the former New York City mayor is serious about making up for lost time in engaging with oft-ignored AAPI stakeholders.
Last week, the campaign named Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Florida)—the first Vietnamese American woman to serve in Congress—as National Campaign Co-Chair. Bloomberg also sat down with members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus on Capitol Hill Thursday and later met with AAPI community leaders in Los Angeles.
Notably, Bloomberg has chosen to skip the Nevada caucuses—one of four early contests in the Democratic primary that has thus far been the epicenter of efforts to woo AAPI voters. Instead, Bloomberg is placing his focus on delegate-rich Super Tuesday states like California, Texas, and Virginia, which have sizable Asian American populations with growing political clout.
The addition of Salcedo and Chatterjee appears to be part of a nationwide hiring frenzy by the billionaire businessman. POLITICO reported last week that Bloomberg has brought on more than 1,000 people to work on his campaign, including upwards of 700 staffers spread across 33 states.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont), and other top-tier candidates have been recruiting staff dedicated to Asian American community outreach since last September. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg continues to recruit for an AAPI engagement director, according to a job posting on Lever.
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