Bernie Sanders has vowed to transform America on the eve a vote in Nevada he hopes will help propel him into the White House.

With polls showing the Vermont senator with a clear lead both nationally and in the state, he urged supporters to turn out in record numbers.

“We have to have a government that will work for all of us,” he said on Friday evening at the Spring Reserve ampitheatre in the west of Las Vegas.

“As you may have noticed lately, the establishment’s getting a little bit nervous. But when we stand up together they are not going to stop us.”

After coming joint first in Iowa and securing a narrow victory in New Hampshire, the 78-year-old has emerged as the Democratic Party’s frontrunner.

Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Show all 18 1 /18 Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Jessica Canicosa, a precinct captain for Bernie Sanders, waits to greet caucus voters at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Hotel workers at the Bellagio in Las Vegas get to grips with voting papers during the Nevada caucuses AFP via Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A caricature of Bernie Sanders is projected on to a tree during a rally in Las Vegas EPA Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A woman waits to have a photo taken with Elizabeth Warren during a town hall meeting in Las Vegas REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures The threat of coronavirus and other germ-borne illnesses was on some voters' minds at the Democratic caucuses in Henderson, Nevada Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Former vice-president Joe Biden takes a selfie with a voter in Las Vegas ahead of the Nevada caucuses REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Amy Klobuchar changes her shoes backstage after giving a speech in Exeter, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A warmly-wrapped-up dog attends an Elizabeth Warren event at Amherst Elementary School in Nashua, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Bernie Sanders, who romped to victory in New Hampshire against Hillary Clinton in 2016, talks to the media in Manchester Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden was hoping to improve on his poor showing in Iowa in the New Hampshire primary Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren, renowned for giving time to supporters for selfies, works the crowd at the University of New Hampshire in Durham Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden takes a selfie with a supporter and his child outside a campaign event in Somersworth, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders quarrel after a confrontation in a TV debate in which Sanders claimed that Warren was not telling the truth about a conversation in which she claimed he had said a woman could not win the presidency on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Supporter Pat Provencher listens to Pete Buttigieg in Laconia, New Hampshire on 4 February Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire while awaiting the results of the Iowa caucus Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren is presented with a balloon effigy of herself at a campaign event in Nashua, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A Trump supporter rides past a rally for Amy Klobuchar in Des Moines, Iowa on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A man holds up a sign criticising billionaires in the presidential race in front of Michael Bloomberg in Compton, Califronia. The former New York mayor skipped the first caucus in Iowa and instead campaigned in California on 3 February Reuters

Yet, he has not been able to claim the nomination is his yet, and with the late arrival into the race of Michael Bloomberg, backed by hundreds of millions of dollars of his own money, it still remains unclear who will emerge as the winner.

On 3 March, Super Tuesday, more than a dozen states hold their primaries, including those in which Mr Bloomberg, also aged 78, is competing. With the campaigns of Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden and Amy Klobuchar all facing major challenges, many observers believe the Democratic race could now become a showdown between the two men.

There is certainly no love lost between the two septuagenarians. Earlier this week at the Democrats’ ninth debate, Mr Bloomberg made his debut and was immediately attacked by his rivals. But the former New York mayor also landed some punches of his own, and claimed if Mr Sanders were the party’s nominee the country would likely see another four years of Donald Trump.

Mr Sanders hit back on Friday night, much to the delight of his supporters.

“I believe Bloomberg has every right to run for the presidency,” he said. “But he has no right to buy the presidency.”

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To some of Mr Sanders supporters, Mr Bloomberg appears to occupy the same represent the same sort of ideological compromise Hillary Clinton did in 2016. When Mr Sanders failed to secure the nomination, thousands of his supporters voted for Mr Trump, rather than the former secretary of state.

On Friday, most people said they would vote for any Democrat in order to try and defeat Mr Trump, but Deborah Cole, 67, an energetic and vocal supporter of the senator, said she would not vote for Mr Bloomberg.

“If the Democratic establishment won’t let us have our candidate, I’d rather vote Green,” she said. “They think we’re stupid. Too many people have been brainwashed.”

Jamie Belkadi, 36, a nurse, said she had seen too many people unable to pay for health care, and meet their mortgage payments. “Or else they are diabetic and they can’t get their insulin because it’s four days from pay day,” she said, saying Mr Sanders signature policy of universal healthcare would help everybody.

Mr Sanders “get out the vote” rally came after he earlier warned Russia to stay out of 2020 White House elections after US officials had told him Moscow was trying to aid his campaign.

“The intelligence community is telling us they are interfering in this campaign, right now, in 2020. And what I say to Mr. Putin, if elected president, trust me you are not going to be interfering in American elections,” Mr Sanders told reporters in Bakersfield, California.

The Washington Post, citing people familiar with the matter, said US officials had told Sanders about the Russian effort and had also informed Mr Trump and US politicians. It was not clear what form the Russian assistance took, the paper said.

Mr Sanders said he was briefed about a month ago. His campaign noted the briefing was classified.

“We were told that Russia, maybe other countries, are going to get involved in this campaign,” Mr Sanders said. “Look, here is the message: To Russia, stay out of American elections.”

He ended his rally by telling supporters: “Let us go forward. Let’s defeat Trump. Let’s transform this country.”