Sen. Bernie Sanders is returning to New Hampshire this weekend for the first time as a 2020 White House contender.

The Monitor learned on Tuesday that the independent senator from Vermont will hold an event Sunday at noon at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord.

The first-in-the-nation primary state is considered a must-win state for Sanders as he makes a second straight bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. Sanders crushed Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire’s 2016 Democratic primary, launching him into a marathon battle with the eventual nominee that didn’t end until Sanders endorsed Clinton at a rally in Portsmouth in July, following the end of the primary and caucus calendar.

The 2020 landscape is drastically different than in 2016, when it was basically a two-person race for the Democratic nomination. This time around, there are now 14 announced major candidates – including fellow Sens. Kamala Harris of California, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. Former Vice President Joe Biden tops a list of potential 2020 contenders likely to launch campaigns.

Sanders remains popular in the Granite State, topping the field of declared and potential candidates in the most recent University of New Hampshire public opinion poll. He was in the state twice last year – on Labor Day and in October – to help Granite State Democrats running in the 2018 midterm elections. And his steering committee of leading supporters has remained intact and has continued to meet on a monthly basis since the 2016 election.

Sanders announced his 2020 presidential campaign on Feb. 19. This past weekend he formally kicked off his White House bid with events in the New York City borough of Brooklyn – where he was raised – and in Chicago – where he attended college.

Ahead of Sunday’s stop in New Hampshire, Sanders spends Thursday through Saturday in Iowa, the state that votes first in the nominating calendar.

The Sanders campaign said additional events may be added to the candidate’s itinerary in New Hampshire.

“Senator Sanders is looking forward to returning to New Hampshire – the state that proved to the country that ideas like Medicare for All, making public colleges tuition free, reducing income and wealth inequality and taking bold action to transform our energy system had overwhelming support among the American people," the campaign said in a statement.

This event is free and open to the public. No tickets are required, but anyone interested in attending is asked to RSVP in advance.