Bernie Sanders to hold post-Super Tuesday rally in Phoenix
PHOENIX (AP) — Bernie Sanders will campaign in Phoenix on Thursday as he looks to recapture the momentum that powered his strong finishes in early states before he met a surging Joe Biden in South Carolina and this week’s Super Tuesday contests.
The Vermont senator’s rally at Arizona’s state fairgrounds will be his first since Biden grabbed the lead in delegates on Tuesday, turning the race effectively into a two-man contest.
Arizona’s primary is March 17, but time is of the essence as Sanders looks to shore up support in a state where the overwhelming majority of voters cast a ballot by mail. Ballots went out weeks ago and many have already been returned.
Arizona Democrats got a rare taste of victory in 2018, when Kyrsten Sinema won a Senate seat and three other Democrats won statewide offices — an unheard of finish in a state where Republicans have dominated. The success has drawn intense focus from Democratic operatives and donors who see Arizona as a potential pickup opportunity in November. President Donald Trump won here by 3.5 points in 2016.
Sanders has performed well among Latinos, who make up a third of Arizona’s population. But he’s struggled with older voters and suburbanites, which could be problematic in the sprawling retirement communities and sizable suburbs that ring Phoenix and Tucson.
He began airing an Arizona-focused ad Tuesday that warns of the ravages of climate change, part of a post-Super Tuesday ad blitz in nine states with upcoming primaries. His campaign began ramping up its ground game here after his victory in Nevada last month but is playing catch-up to Elizabeth Warren and Mike Bloomberg, who have been building out their operations for weeks or months.
Warren’s campaign has scheduled a town hall meeting on Saturday in Mesa if she’s still in the race. She confirmed she’s reconsidering her future as a presidential candidate following a disappointing finish on Tuesday. Bloomberg ended his campaign on Wednesday.
Biden has no public events scheduled in Arizona aside from a March 15 debate in Phoenix.
