bernie sanders
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ campaign released an ad featuring supporters who speak in both Spanish and English just hours before the Nevada presidential caucus where he hope to defeat Hillary Clinton. Above: Sanders speaks in Elko, Nevada February 19, 2016. REUTERS/Jim Young

Bernie Sanders does not speak Spanish, but he has learned enough to say “I am Bernie Sanders and I approve this message.” Ahead of the Nevada caucuses, Sanders is hoping that Latinos will hear his message. Nevada is the first state in this primary season with a significant number of Latino voters. Sanders and Clinton are hitting each other hard over immigration issues, but in this TV ad Sanders focuses on an economic issue. “Our Home” focuses on the housing crisis that disproportionately hurt Nevada.

The Vermont senator’s ad opens with images of a happy Hispanic family in front of their house, interspliced with images of a boarded up window on another building. A middle-aged man speaks in Spanish about how his home kept his family together. Then a woman speaks in English.

“Our home met everything to us. It was our savings, it was our children’s future,” she says.

Cue montage of Sanders supporters standing in front of their homes. Many wear Sanders gear. The man comes back, speaking in with the y’alls and ums and hecks of Latin American Spanish.

“I’m supporting the Bernie Sanders campaign because, well, like not just me but also because other people like me like me have lost their property,” he says.

At the end of the video, you can year Bernie read the standard presidential approval message in Spanish.

Soy Bernie Sanders y apruebo este mensaje,” he says.

Sanders and Clinton invested campaign staff and serious cash starting last fall. Since then, they’ve opened campaign offices in Reno, Las Vegas and elsewhere. All that effort will play out tomorrow as Nevadan Democrats go out to caucus for their candidates. In previous Spanish-language ads aired in Nevada, Sanders read the approval in English.

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