Dozens of Bernie Sanders meet-ups planned across state

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., joined by federal contract workers, speaks during a rally on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., joined by federal contract workers, speaks during a rally on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: Andrew Harnik / Associated Press Photo: Andrew Harnik / Associated Press Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Dozens of Bernie Sanders meet-ups planned across state 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

Is Bernie Sanders the next Jerry Brown and Ned Lamont of liberal lore in Connecticut?

Democrats in the Nutmeg State have been known to do the darnedest things, like eschew establishment candidates.

Just ask Bill and Hillary Clinton. Joe Lieberman, too.

Hundreds of supporters of Sanders will flock to living rooms, diners, taverns and offices across the state Wednesday night to listen to the liberal Vermont senator discuss his insurgent candidacy for president during a live Internet simulcast.

Organizers of the meet-up events — there are at least 37 planned in Connecticut and 1,500 nationwide — say Sanders’ crusade for universal health care and income equality are a huge selling point.

“Something electrifying is going on,” said Audrey Blondin, a Democratic State Central Committee member from Litchfield who started the website ctforbernie.com.

Blondin, a bankruptcy attorney who supported Hillary Clinton for president in 2008, is hosting a meet-up at her Torrington law office.

In Milford, a group of 75 to 100 Sanders diehards will gather at Blank Space Gallery to watch the simulcast, which starts at 7:30 p.m. and is being co-organized by Nick Smith.

“As much as I wholeheartedly disagree with everything Donald Trump says, him and Bernie Sanders, even though they’re from opposite ends of the spectrum, they’re kind of speaking to people in the same way,” Smith said. “People are kind of fed up with the political process as it’s been.”

Smith, 27, a property manager for a storage facility, supported Barack Obama in 2008.

“Hillary didn’t do it for me in 2008. And she’s still not doing it for me,” Smith said.

The last time Connecticut had a contested Democratic presidential primary, Obama bested Clinton with a late surge and visit to the state. In 2006, Democrats abandoned incumbent Joe Lieberman in their Senate primary for anti-war candidate Ned Lamont. Lieberman won the general election as an independent. In 1992, Bill Clinton lost the Democratic presidential primary here to Jerry Brown.

“I think the competition is very healthy for the Democratic Party and the country,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a Yale Law School classmate of the Clintons and Hillary supporter.

In Westport, retiree Paul Regnier will host about 25 Sanders supporters at his townhouse.

“I think (Sanders) is pushing (Clinton) more to the left more toward not voting for the big-money billionaires,” Regnier said.

neil.vigdor@scni.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy