Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speaking to a crowd of 2,200 at the Charleston Municipal Auditorium Sunday evening.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – During his address to 2,200 people in Charleston Sunday night, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., touched on the challenges of running for office, noting his unsuccessful bids for U.S. Senate and governor of Vermont in the 1970s.

Adding that while “smarter people” would have stopped campaigning, he said he continued making bids for public office, eventually winning the 1981 election for mayor of Burlington by 10 votes.

“Democracy is not a spectator sport,” Sanders said.

Sanders’ message of political involvement was a major theme of his speech at the Charleston Municipal Auditorium. Sanders was in Charleston to promote his book, “Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In.”

The visit came after MSNBC announced a town hall event with Sanders in McDowell County as part of its program, “All In with Chris Hayes.” The event was scheduled for Monday, and would have taken place at the National Guard Armory in Welch

Dan Carlisle, manager of Taylor Books in Charleston, said book publisher St. Martin’s Press reached out to the bookstore about doing an event close to the town hall.

“It was very short notice,” Carlise said. “But obviously, we were like, ‘Sure, of course.'”

That town hall, however, was canceled Friday. According to a statement from the West Virginia National Guard, the reason for the cancellation was because the U.S. Department of Defense and state Armory Board “does not permit the use of military facilities for political and election events and specifically includes town hall meetings as an example of such activities.”

Prior to the event, around two dozen Sanders supporters gathered outside of the Capitol to protest the decision.

During his speech, Sanders said he plans to have a town hall in McDowell County, adding how inspired he was following a visit to the area during his 2016 presidential campaign.

“If you think we are not going back to McDowell County to hold that meeting, you are very mistaken,” Sanders said to a cheering audience.

Sanders’ visit attracted a diverse group of people. Carlisle said this included Sanders supporters, as well as concerned liberals.

“They are feeling a little confused and emotional in the wake of the Trump presidency,” Carlisle said. “I think some people are here, and they are ready to get to work to get started for a progressive reform for the 2018 midterm congressional elections.”

Carsen Blake, 16, from Buckhannon, said she has paid attention to politics since she was 8 years old. She said she is a Sanders fan because of his knowledge of issues facing Americans.

“I think he’s had a lot of experience in politics,” Blake said. “I think he knows what he’s doing, and I think he’ll be able to help us.”

Justin Richmond-Decker, 26, from Green Bank, said Sanders and his supporters have been building momentum originally started in 2011 as a result of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

“It’s very clear that that sentiment is not going away,” Richmond-Decker said.

In his more than 80 minutes speaking, Sanders touched on multiple issues, including income inequality, access to health care, welfare programs and the future of the Affordable Care Act.

Sanders said while he spent time addressing these issues during his campaign to become Democratic nomination for president – a race ultimately won by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – his plans for addressing economic issues were not widely discussed.

“The media does not talk about the realities of the American people,” Sanders added.

Sanders also talked about President Donald Trump, saying he is trying to create a “culture of fear” by acting “like a demagogue” and pushing for more executive power. Sanders also said it was dangerous for Trump to attack minorities, such as Hispanics who have entered the country illegally.

“This is what demagogues always do,” Sanders said.

Sanders also touched on why Trump was able to win the electoral vote, saying the Democratic Party has changed from a party for working-class people to a party focused on money.

In contrast, Sanders said, Trump related to people by saying he understood the issues people were facing and he would take on the establishment in Washington.

Richmond-Decker said he sees Trump as “the other side of the coin” to Sanders.

“There was a big unrest there, and he kind of took advantage of that and took the presidency,” Richmond-Decker said.

Richmond-Decker said while the movement seems energized, a new leader will need to come forward before the 2020 presidential race begins.

“I like Bernie,” Richmond-Decker said. “But four years from now will be too late for him to run. I think someone else younger should kind of pick up the ideologies that he was tapping into.”

Blake said she had two people in mind for higher office.

“Michelle Obama is my first choice,” Blake said. “I also really want Joe Biden to run. He doesn’t let his faith get in the way of his political beliefs, and I think that’s very important.”

While Sanders did not say anything about plans to run again for president, he did urge those in the audience to consider running for office themselves, even if it means losing like he once did.

“So, what if you lose?” Sanders said. “You’ll win the next time.”