Bill Husa/Chico Enterprise-Record

Actress Susan Sarandon introduces Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders before he talked to 6,000 people at Chico State University on Thursday evening.

SHARE Bill Husa/Chico Enterprise-Record A crowd estimated at 6,000 people listen to Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders when he spoke at Chico State University. Bill Husa/Chico Enterprise-Record Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders talks to a crowd of about 6,000 people at Chico State University on Thursday evening.

By Risa Johnson, Chico Enterprise-Record

CHICO — Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders announced to a sweaty crowd of nearly 6,000 people at a Chico State University rally that as of Thursday, California polls put him above Hillary Clinton by 1 percentage point.

During his speech in front of the boisterous crowd, Sanders said he is confident that if he wins the California primary Tuesday, he will win the presidential nomination despite the fact that Clinton currently holds the sweeping majority of votes from Democratic superdelegates.

Sanders has won 20 state primaries and is traveling up an down the state in an attempt to make California the 21st.

People waited in line starting as early at 8 a.m. to see the senator from Vermont as temperatures hit the high 90s midday.

Sanders was introduced by actress Susan Sarandon and took the stage at 7:30 p.m. He spoke for about an hour.

Sanders' campaign said the crowd numbered 5,804.

Sanders called for investment in rural areas and inner cities, as opposed to Afghanistan, as well as the need for equal representation of people in the LGBT community and Native Americans, for African-American people and Latinos and Latinas. He stood by women's rights to equal pay and abortion.

"Women want the whole damn dollar and they're right," he said.

He also called for a $15 minimum wage, which California has pledged to enact. He declared health care a human right and shared his plans to increase Social Security benefits, which he told the crowd that President Barack Obama supports as well.

Candidates should be able to run a campaign without big-money interests controlling them, Sanders said.

"The current campaign finance system is corrupt and undermining American democracy," he said. "It is time for us to tell corporate America that they are no longer going to get it all."

Sanders is optimistic about winning several other states and defeating Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in November.

"It is extremely difficult to keep up with 'the Donald' because every day he makes a statement more absurd than the statement he made the day before," Sanders said. "He came to California to tell the people of California that there is no drought. He cannot become president after all of the pain this country has gone through since its inception, all of the racism. We do not want a president who insults Mexicans and Latinos, insults Muslims, every day insults women, who insults veterans and who insults the African-American community."

Sanders estimated those in the crowd were likely from over 100 countries.

"The American people understand that our strength is in our diversity," he said, "And that our strength is bringing people together, not dividing us up. This campaign is extraordinarily proud that we have won in state after state, even in states we have lost, the overwhelming support of young people."

Sanders says he owes his constant drive to young people, who understand the vision of the United States to be one of social justice, racial justice and environmental justice.

"Our campaign is going to win because we are doing something that most politicians today do not do, which is telling the truth, whether in our personal or political lives. The truth is not always pleasant but if we want to go forward, we must confront reality."

Almost every supporter interviewed before the rally spoke of Sanders' honesty as a key reason in their support, including Lynn Roof, 59, of Oroville, who was sporting some Bernie silhouette earrings. She said she has been a supporter of his campaign since the beginning.

"I don't think we will see another candidate in our lifetime with his conviction. Like Bernie said, it's not about him — it's about all of us," Roof said. "He is the only candidate who has stated that the environment is the No. 1 issue."

People were also surprised by Sanders' rising popularity, like Wyatt Culbert, 34, of Chico, who has been a fan of the senator since the '90s.

"I never thought he would become popular because I mean, he declared himself a socialist," Culbert said.

On whether Sanders would be able to enact his policies with a majority Republican Congress, Culbert said he wasn't sure.

"You know, Obama didn't succeed in all he wanted to but if anything, he made people want to be more socially Democratic and that's something."