Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders stumped to over 5,000 people on the UA Mall for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, calling on supporters to elect her president this November.
Local Congressman Raul Grijalva, who introduced Sanders to a chanting crowd, said he brings a redemptive movement to politics and is our crusader.
“There is only one legitimate, rational, capable choice and that is Hillary Clinton,” Grijalva said.
Sanders said that Arizona is a battleground state, emphasizing everyone can make the difference is terms of who the next president will be.
“On November 8 our job is to defeat Trump and elect Hilary Clinton as our president,” Sanders said after taking the stage to overwhelming cheers. “This election is important, but politics and the fight for justice isn’t just about election day, you got to get to work the day after too.”
A major theme of Sander’s presidential primary bid was campaign finance reform. Sanders promised Clinton will bring forth a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United in the first hundred days of her presidency.
Kathy Ortega, a mother from Tucson, spoke before Sanders and called on UA students to vote yes on Prop 206, so mothers like her with children and a disabled husband can have a living wage.
Sanders congratulated his 13 million primary voters for fighting for Clinton to adopt a 15 dollar living minimum wage.
“After election role up your sleeves and fight to make this country become what it can be,” Sanders said.
He said real economic and social change is possible, “Think big not small.”
—A full recap of the night’s events will be published shortly.
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