EDITOR'S NOTE: The Pekin Times will cover other similar area watch parties of other presidential candidates when and if they occur.

Not so long ago, putting the words “Tazewell County” and “progressives” in the same sentence would have been oxymoronic.

Pekin’s reputation historically as a “sundown” town and one-time hub of the Ku Klux Klan often precedes itself in conversation.

Now, a Toyota Prius with a “coexist” bumper sticker sits outside of the United Steelworkers Hall on McLean Street in Pekin while inside, a mostly white crowd talks about the appearance of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren on the nationally syndicated hip-hop radio show “The Breakfast Club” (the appearance in which host Charlamagne Tha God referred to Warren as “the original Rachael Dolezal”).

What a time.

Though they spoke about Warren, the people gathered at the Steelworkers Hall on Thursday night, June 27, were there to show support for another hyper-progressive Democratic candidate: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Mark York, who lives in Marquette Heights, was the leader of the Tazewell Progressives for Bernie event, and took responsibility for live stream audio and kicked off discussion (though he noted that Bob Kieser, Pekin, actually started the group around the April rollout of the Sanders campaign).

York is an organizer through and through. He’s the president of the United Steelworkers Union; worked with Central Illinois for Bernie in 2016; campaigned for Sanders in Tazewell, Woodford and Peoria counties; and also knocked on over 4,500 doors during the 2018 midterm season, he said, on behalf of Gov. J.B. Pritzker and 13th Congressional District candidate Betsy Londrigan.

In 2016, Tazewell and Woodford counties went to Sanders in the primary, and Londrigan lost to incumbent Rodney Davis by less than one percentage point in what was a good showing in the historically Republican county.

York’s connection to Sanders came at a union convention some years back, he said.

“I (saw) this old guy get up there and take the room by storm talking about labor reforms that desperately need(ed) to happen. They still do need to happen,” said York.

York said Sanders’ impassioned speaking about “pro-labor” issues like repealing the Taft-Hartley act — a federal law that restricts the activities and power of labor unions — grabbed his attention, and he’s supported Sanders since.

Others in the crowd shared similar dedication to the candidate.

“(Voting for) Bernie was the first time I felt like I got to vote for a Democrat that wasn’t the lesser of two evils,” said Mike Tunis, Pekin, who sported a Bernie Sanders pin with his name on it, and drank from a travel mug with Sanders’ logo —which included an outline of the candidate’s face — printed on it.

Once the debate started at 8 p.m., the crowd was mostly quiet and attentive, reserving positive affirmation for Sanders’ — or occasionally another candidate’s — talking points, or offering quick jabs at the expense of other candidates, particularly front-runner, former Vice President Joe Biden.

California Rep. Eric Swalwell, for example, gained early praise from the group for his early takedown of Biden.

“I was six year olds when a presidential candidate came to the California Democratic convention and said it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation of Americans. That candidate was then Sen. Joe Biden,” said Swalwell. “He was right when he said that 32 years ago. He is still right today.”

The room erupted in laughter, despite Sanders taking offense to the remark he later called “ageist.”

Throughout the rest of the night, candidates like South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg gained steam with the group.

In 2016, Sanders supporters — and the candidate himself — received criticism for attacks on other Democratic candidates, and a refusal to back then candidate Hillary Clinton.

York, for his part, said he has no problem supporting the eventual Democratic candidate, even if Sanders doesn’t garner the nomination.

There’s one reason for that: President Donald Trump.

“My dislike for Trump is so strong that all (of the Democratic candidates) look like angels and saints,” said York. “There are some of them I like better than others, but I’d be willing to get behind and work for whoever wins this nomination.”