Congressman Keith Ellison, presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders and his wife Jane O'Meara Sanders greet a crowd of more than 14,000 at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders speaks to a capacity crowd at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

Lines stretched all around the RiverCentre as thousands waited to hear presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders speak on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

Austin Jensen, center, from Hopkins checks his smartphone as he waits in line with thousands of others to hear presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders speak Tuesday, January 26, 2016, at the St. Paul RiverCentre. "I like how he talks about closing the income gap," Jensen said. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

Sarah Williams, left, and Madline Flesvig, both 18 talk about their support of presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders before his speech to a capacity crowd at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)



New American citizens Farhiy Ali speaks about her support of presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders to a capacity crowd at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

A young boy shows his support for presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders as he waits at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

Minneapolis congressman Keith Ellison warms up the crowd before presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders speaks to a capacity crowd at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

More than 14,000 people came out to hear presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders speak at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

Supporters cheer and wave signs after presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders makes a point to a capacity crowd at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)



A young girl sits on shoulders as presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders speaks to a capacity crowd at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders speaks to a capacity crowd at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

The smartphones come out as supporters try to get photos of presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders speaks to a capacity crowd at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

Supporters cheer as presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders speaks to a capacity crowd at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)



Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders speaks to a crowd of more than 14,000 at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

A Black Lives Matter supporter chants during presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders' speech to a capacity crowd at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders works the rope line at the end of his appearance at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders waves to supporters as he exits the stage at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

Fans hold lighted signs showing support for presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)



Normandale student Skye Stier, 20, of Eden Prairie holds a sign while she waits to hear presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders speak at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. "I love that Bernie Sanders advocates for people like my dad who has worked seven days a week forever," Stier said. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

John Flaherty of St. Paul talks about why he waits to hear presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders speak at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

J.P. Lamere, left, and Faith Vokovan sport matching "Feel the Bern" hoodies as they wait to hear presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders speak at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

Laura Newby of Minneapolis and Isaac Sanborn of Columbia Heights hold signs in support of presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders as they wait to listen to him speak at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. "He sees states of economics and politics in the country for what they are," Newby said. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

A young supporter holds a sign while he waits to hear presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders speak at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)



Thousands of excited Minnesota fans cheered Tuesday night at their first sight of the rumpled, white-haired, New York-accented 74-year-old who is breathing new life into their political dreams.

One week from the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses, Vermont’s U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders took a break from the plains of Iowa to visit two of Minnesota’s most liberal cities and fire up voters about this state’s March 1 caucuses.

“Yes, this is an election for the presidency of the United States, and I am here to ask for your support,” Sanders said.

But with a hoarse voice, he said the people in the room can control what comes next: “Real change never takes place from the top down. Real change always takes place from the grassroots up.”

In Duluth before 6,000 Tuesday afternoon and as many as 14,500 at St. Paul’s RiverCentre and overflow space Tuesday evening, he was exactly what fans came to see.

“It was really inspiring. I think it really kind of solidified our thoughts that Bernie really has a chance to win this thing. I thought he did an excellent job. He touched on all the issues we wanted to hear about,” said Abra Hawley of Brainerd, who attended the event with her husband.

Sanders may well pin his hopes for success in his unexpected presidential run — he frequently reminds audiences he had few campaign resources when he started but had “a vision” — on states like Minnesota. With excitement and organization, a liberal crowd at the March 1 presidential preference caucus could give Sanders a delegate-rich boost in the early race for president.

In Minnesota, he faces the well-organized campaign of former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, which has been fighting for voters on the ground here since last year, and the less powerful campaign of former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley.

In 2008, Clinton saw her hopes for the White House dashed in caucus states like Minnesota. But she said when she visited Minnesota last year, she learned the lesson in 2008 of “how important it is to be as well organized and focused from the very beginning on delegates.”

Sanders has the same focus. While several people at the St. Paul rally said they do not plan to caucus for anyone, others said they have made special arrangements to support Sanders in March. Faith Vokovan, 36, of Minneapolis said she delayed a planned trip so that she could attend the caucuses.

Sanders, she said, talks about the issues that need to be aired.

“The game has been rigged for years, but no one has talked about it,” she said, sitting in the convention hall wearing a “Feel the Bern” sweatshirt.

Her friend J.P. Lamere, a 48-year-old who wore a matching shirt, said he believes Sanders has “a good chance.”

“I don’t know anybody who is voting for Hillary,” Lamere said, acknowledging that his Minneapolis base may skew his focus group. He plans to caucus if Vokovan does.

U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, a Minneapolis Democrat and one of Sanders’ few Congressional supporters, asked the entire crowd to attend caucuses.

“The time is now for you to stand up and get a president of the United States to make these changes,” said Ellison, who described the Sanders campaign as “not just a man but a movement.”

To frequent cheers, and occasional interruptions of chants of “Bernie,” Sanders trashed Wall Street, corporate media, the political donors the Koch Brothers, campaign finance and a “broken criminal justice system.”

“It is not going to be easy but I believe when the American people stand up… there is nothing, nothing nothing we cannot accomplish,” he said.

Sanders, who spoke from a podium in the middle of the packed crowd, took aim at the minimum wage, promising a $15-an-hour “living wage” and targeted the Walton family, which owns WalMart, for particular ire.

“Do you know who the biggest recipients of welfare are in America? It’s the Walton family of Walmart,” Sanders exhorted because they underpay their workers.

Sanders, who has performed better against Clinton in early state polls than many thought possible, railed again and again in his speech against income inequality. An independent and self-described “democratic socialist” who frequently votes with Democrats during his multi-decade political career, Sanders said he would help lead the change.

“People are sick and tired of establishment politics and establishment economics,” Sanders said, taking a swipe at Clinton. One of his biggest cheers of the night was for his humble brag that he does not have a Super PAC, the common political groups capable of accepting unlimited donations. Clinton and most of the other candidates have one or more Super PACs supporting them.

Sanders said he will continue to fight no matter what happens in early state Iowa.

“We are running a campaign that will take us to the convention,” said Sanders, who has particularly targeted caucus states like Minnesota. “And I’m very proud of the kinds of enormous gains we have made.”

Sanders told the St. Paul crowd they had the power to make it a reality.

Ending his speech, Sanders said: “Brothers and sisters, the political revolution begins with you.”

Reporters David Montgomery and Andy Rathbun contributed.