Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders promised Colorado voters he would fight to fix a rigged economy corrupt campaign finance system, universal health care and the rights of women, gays, middle class families and college students Saturday in Denver.

Sanders spoke to a packed Colorado Convention Center crowd as a prelude to the Colorado Democratic Party’s annual dinner a few blocks away at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, where he shared the billing with his party opponent, Hillary Clinton.

In a 45-minute pep rally speech, preceded by a free concert by Colorado bands The Samples and the Flobots, Sanders fired up his supporters with his now-familiar campaign themes: the ills of big money in politics, climate change, free college tuition and a $15 minimum wage.

He said he would continue to refuse super PAC money and would run his populist campaign on the strength of 3.5 million individual donors who gave an average of $27 each.

“We don’t represent the billionaire class,” Sanders said to the roaring approval of a crowd estimated at 18,000 by organizers. “We don’t represent Wall Street. We don’t represent corporate America. We don’t want their money and we don’t need their money.”

Sanders sought to build momentum fresh off his win in New Hampshire on Tuesday, ahead of the Nevada caucuses on Feb. 20 and the South Carolina primary on Feb. 27. Colorado Democrats will have their caucus on March 1, along with 12 other states on Super Tuesday.

Sanders, the 74-year-old Vermont senator, has served in Congress as an Independent but aligned with Democrats.

Saturday morning, Sanders met about two dozen solar power activists at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Nevada, and called using alternative energy “a moral responsibility,” according to a media pool feed. He said he would oppose raising energy rates on solar power customers.

A Colorado College poll in January indicated 76 percent of respondents want to continue tax incentives for solar and wind energy production.

Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174, jbunch@denverpost.com or @joeybunch