Bernie Sanders to bring presidential campaign to Phoenix

While moderates consolidate their support around former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders will stage a post-Super Tuesday rally in Phoenix, bringing his progressive message to the masses for the first time this election season.

The rally, which is expected to draw thousands, is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where President Donald Trump recently filled the venue to the rafters for his own rally.

Biden's victory Saturday night in South Carolina's primary put him within eight delegates of Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist from Vermont who supports progressive policy proposals such as Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.

Polls suggest Sanders holds strong support with voters in delegate-rich states of California, Texas and North Carolina, where Democrats go to the polls on Tuesday.

In Arizona, Sanders' campaign and volunteers have held more than 400 organizing events to spread his vision of rebuilding the middle class with a progressive agenda that creates jobs and protects the environment.

Arizona's Democratic Presidential Preference Election, or primary, is March 17.

Doors to the rally open at 4:30 p.m. The campaign said tickets are not required but it requests RSVPs to the free event.

Parking at the coliseum costs $10 per vehicle; carpooling is suggested.

Have news to share about Arizona's U.S. senators or national politics? Reach the reporter on Twitter and Facebook. Contact her at yvonne.wingett@arizonarepublic.com and 602-444-4712.

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