Sanders Campaign Hires Texas State Director

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent chasing the Democratic presidential nomination, has hired a Texas state director to help woo voters in the state. 

Jacob Limon, currently chief of staff to state Rep. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth, will lead Sanders' campaign in Texas, a spokesman for the senator said Tuesday. Limon previously served as the deputy executive director of the Texas Democratic Party. 

Sanders' efforts in the Lone Star State are expected to serve as a "force multiplier" for supporters who have already started informally organizing themselves. The campaign is also expected to open a number of offices in the state as the race goes on. 

Limon's hire comes as the Sanders campaign begins dispatching staff to Texas to meet with supporters. From Saturday through Nov. 13, campaign staffers are set to hold listening sessions in Dallas, Houston, Corpus Christi, Austin, San Antonio, Brownsville and Fort Worth. 

Sanders last visited Texas in July, when he drew 5,200 and 8,000 people to rallies in Houston and Dallas, respectively. At the events, he urged Democrats not to write off solidly Republican states like Texas as they plot a path to the White House.