“I told Sen. Sanders that Atlanta is No. 1 in income inequality and immobility,” he said. “That a child born at Grady hospital this afternoon has the least chance than any place in this country of moving from poverty into the middle class.”

Sanders’ support is important to Fort. He’s hoping the issues he and Vermont’s independent senator share — free college tuition, criminal justice reform and a respect for worker’s rights— will help Fort capture the young voters who revere Sanders.

A connection to Sanders could also boost Fort’s poll numbers. Fort was in second place in a March Channel 2 Action News poll behind front-runner Mary Norwood, an Atlanta City Council member, with 9 perscent of the vote.

Five months later, he had slipped to sixth place at 6.1 percent of the vote in Channel 2's August follow-up poll. A little more than 17 percent of voters in the August survey, however, said they were undecided or had no opinion, keeping hope alive among struggling campaigns. Thirteen people are competing in the race to succeed Kasim Reed as mayor. The election is set for Nov. 7.

Killer Mike told the crowd that he won’t vote for politicians. His vote, he said, will go to those who challenge the status quo and antagonize rather than capitulate.

Sanders concentrated a great deal of his firepower on Washington and the impact he says it has not only in the halls of Congress and at the White House but the trickle-down to everyday Americans. He said the effort to repeal and replace the health care law is an example of why Americans must stay vigilant and vote.

“In this great country, health care must be a right for all, not a privilege,” he said.

Later he told Fort he would call him to Washington to help the nation understand the importance of health care, especially single-payer policies he believes will help every American.

“Vincent, when the Democrats regain control of the Senate, I’m going to invite you as the mayor of this great city to testify why the people of Atlanta need a Medicare for all, single-payer system,” he said.