Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders will appear at a town hall event in Spartanburg tonight.

“U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has confirmed his appearance as a special guest,” Devon Owens of the S.C. Legislative Black Caucus, which is hosting the event, said Sunday.

The Upstate Town Hall meeting is set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18, at Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Spartanburg.

The theme of the town hall is criminal justice reform and education reform.

Leading the discussion will be state Rep. Rosalyn Henderson-Myers of Spartanburg, state Sen. Karl Allen of Greenville, state Rep. Chandra Dillard of Greenville, state Rep. Leola Robinson-Simpson of Greenville and state Rep. Anne Parks of Greenwood.

The education reform panel will include Sherry East, president of the S.C. Education Association; Russell Booker, superintendent of Spartanburg County School District 7; and Glenda Morrison Fair, a Greenville County Schools trustee.

The criminal justice reform panel will include Allen; Spartanburg Police Chief Alonzo Thompson; and Tony Liebert, assistant solicitor for the 7th Circuit.

"We're delighted to have a presidential candidate," said Henderson-Myers, who added that the Legislative Black Caucus is not endorsing any of the candidates. She said other Democratic presidential candidates have expressed interest in coming to Spartanburg in the future, though nothing has been set yet.

In addition to the panel discussion, speakers will explain the expungement process, and there will be assistance on-site for those seeking to expunge their record, according to Owens.

The event is free and open to the public.

Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, is one of several Democratic presidential contenders who has declared their candidacy.

He was runner-up to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016. Sanders, 77, formally announced his 2020 run on Feb. 19.

On issues, he has proposed free public college, Medicare for all, a $15 minimum wage, breaking up the largest banks and immigration reform to create a path for legal status.