Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Rebekah L. Sanders

The Arizona Republic

PHOENIX — Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders rallied a crowd of thousands at the Phoenix Convention Center, even as he faced big losses to rival contender Hillary Clinton in crucial primaries across the country Tuesday.

Despite the setbacks, Sanders energetically addressed the crowd, his voice hoarse. He spoke for a little less than an hour and never mentioned Tuesday's primary results.

"Phoenix, are you ready for a political revolution? Are you tired of a handful of billionaires running our economy?" he asked, to huge cheers. "Well, if you are you’ve come to the right place!"

The independent U.S. senator from Vermont was holding the event as media outlets projected Clinton to win Florida, North Carolina and Ohio, while the outcomes so far were unknown in Missouri and Illinois.

Arizonans will hold their presidential primary March 22. Sanders has been hoping to cut into the significant delegate lead Clinton holds.

"We have come a long way in 10 months and the reason we have done as well as we have — the reason that we have defied all expectations — is that we are doing something very radical in American politics: we are telling the truth," he said.

A series of Latino and African-American supporters opened Sanders' event, including 15-year-old Katherine Figueroa who said her parents had been detained by immigration officials for months, leaving her under the care of her aunt.

Clinton wins big: Illinois, Ohio, N.C. and Florida all go her way

"I am one of millions of kids that are left behind ... We want deportations to stop completely," she said. "I truly believe that Bernie is going to bring the change and that he is going to make our future even better. ... He is our future president."

Erika Andiola, a Sanders campaign spokeswoman, said Sanders had proven wrong the pundits who said he didn't have a chance.

"They cannot tell us any longer that we have to continue to go with the flow, to go with the establishment," she said.

The crowd was dominated by young people, a generation that has flocked to Sanders, but it also included parents toting children and Baby Boomers. Many were wearing “Feel the Bern! 2016” T-shirts and pins featuring illustrations of his signature white hair and glasses.

Songs like Bob Marley’s Revolution and Muse’s Uprising blared.

Lizete Garnica, 27, is so inspired by Sanders’ campaign, she brought her 9-year-old son, who is on spring break, to hear Sanders speak.

“I’m here because I want to hear my next president speak,” she said. “There’s so many of us that couldn’t make it today. He has people everywhere, young people, old people, he has all kinds of people behind him and he’s going to make it.”

“He speaks the truth, he tells it like it is,” but he does it “without hate."

Hailey Vincent, 24, said she hopes Sanders addresses the violence that has marred recent rallies by GOP front-runner Donald Trump.

"I've seen videos of what's been going on — people getting hit, people getting pepper-sprayed," she said. "Everything that's been going on goes against everything that America's supposed to stand for."

Vincent said she also hopes Sanders spends some time talking about illegal immigration. "I just want him to express the plan he has as opposed to just putting a giant wall up. I want him to refute everything Donald Trump has to say about it," she said.

Clinton still leads Sanders in the few Arizona polls that have been released.

Her campaign has ramped up its efforts in the state in recent weeks, holding events with women supporters, the LGBT community and celebrities like Olympic medalist Michelle Kwan.

She also released a Spanish-language television ad ahead of Sanders' rally, touting her support for immigration reform, children’s health care and affordable college. The ad opens with images of Trump and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the controversial immigration hardliner.

Sanders also was set to air more than $500,000 television ads in Arizona, according to federal filings.

Jane Sanders, his wife, has been touring Arizona. She sparred with Arpaio on a visit to Tent City on Monday.

Follow Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Rebekah L. Sanders on Twitter: @yvonnewingett and @RebekahLSanders