Symone Sanders-Townsend facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Symone Sanders-Townsend
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Sanders in 2022
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| Personal details | |
| Born | December 10, 1989 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Political party | Independent (2025–present) Democratic (until 2025) |
| Spouse |
Shawn Townsend
(m. 2022) |
| Education | Creighton University (BBA) |
Symone D. Sanders Townsend (born December 10, 1989) is an American political expert and TV host. She is known for her work as a political commentator and for hosting The Weekend on MSNBC.
She worked as the national press secretary for Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign. Later, she became a political commentator for CNN. In 2019, Sanders joined Joe Biden's presidential campaign as a senior advisor. After Biden won, she became a chief spokesperson and senior advisor for Vice President Kamala Harris. In December 2021, she left the White House to return to television. She now co-hosts MSNBC's The Weekend and the 7 pm ET weekday show with Alicia Menendez and Michael Steele.
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Early Life and School
Symone Sanders grew up in North Omaha, Nebraska. Her father, Daniel Sanders, worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Her mother, Terri Sanders, used to run the Omaha Star newspaper. She also led the Great Plains Black History Museum.
Symone went to Sacred Heart Catholic School. When she was a child, she dreamed of having her own TV show. She would pretend to be an imaginary TV host named Donna Burns.
Her first job was at Time Out Foods, a restaurant in Omaha. She finished high school in 2008 from Mercy High School.
Sanders then went to Creighton University. She earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. While in college, she worked at a law firm. This experience helped her realize that she did not want to work in law.
Her Career Journey
Symone Sanders started her career in politics. She worked in the communications office for former Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle. In 2014, she was the deputy communications director for a Democratic candidate named Chuck Hassebrook.
Working on Presidential Campaigns
In August 2015, Sanders joined the Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign. She was the national press secretary for the campaign. In December of that year, Fusion magazine named her one of 30 young women who would influence the 2016 election.
She left the Sanders campaign in June 2016. Later that year, she became an analyst and commentator for CNN. Rolling Stone magazine also recognized her as one of 16 young Americans shaping the 2016 election.
After this, she joined the presidential campaign of former vice president Joe Biden. In 2020, she wrote a book called No, You Shut Up. The book shares her personal stories about speaking up and fighting for her beliefs.
On November 29, 2020, Sanders was chosen for an important role. She became the chief spokesperson and a senior advisor for Vice President Kamala Harris. She announced her departure from this role on December 1, 2021.
Moving to Television
Soon after leaving the White House, MSNBC announced that Symone Sanders would host a weekend show. She also hosted a program on Peacock's The Choice. Her new MSNBC show, Symone, started on May 7, 2022.
By November 2023, her show was watched by about 438,000 people. On November 30, 2023, MSNBC announced a new role for Sanders. She moved to weekend mornings to co-anchor a new show called The Weekend. She hosts this show with Alicia Menendez and Michael Steele. Her show Symone ended on January 7, 2024. The Weekend premiered on the same day.
Since February 24, 2025, Sanders and her co-hosts on The Weekend also host a newscast. This show is on MSNBC's weekday 7 pm ET time slot. On March 15, 2025, Sanders-Townsend announced a big change. She left the Democratic Party to become an Independent. She explained that this decision was due to the party's response to a government funding bill.
Personal Life
Symone Sanders-Townsend is married to Shawn Townsend. He was Washington D.C.'s former "Night Mayor". The couple got married on July 15, 2022. They live in Washington, D.C.
Books Written
- No, You Shut Up: Speaking Truth to Power and Reclaiming America. New York: Harper (2020). ISBN: 0062942689
