Bernie’s Big Rallies: 2015–2016
Bernie Sanders drew some of the largest political rallies from 2015–2016. He drew larger crowds than any other Democratic candidate. Only Donald Trump competed against him for the single largest rally — both broke 30,000 attendees. Yet, Bernie’s rallies broke town and city records across the country, and they all shared similar features: long lines before the doors even opened, enthusiastic crowds cheering for hours, and a whole lot of young people of every background. These were features not typically associated with politics.
In Bernie’s book Our Revolution: A Future To Believe In, he wrote that he first began touring early primary states in 2014. In mid-December 2014, Bernie returned to Iowa for a few days for speaking engagements. At a town hall meeting in Ames, Bernie spoke with numerous activists groups in separate meetings to learn more about local issues. This marked the first time Bernie applied this strategy of having pre-meetings with local people before each rally, and he continued to use it throughout the campaign. (Sanders, Our Revolution, 80).
The big rallies saw similar patterns throughout the campaign. First, people would begin standing in line hours before the doors opened. This led to lines that were blocks long by the time the doors opened. When the doors did finally open, the building would fill up immediately, and typically hundreds and even thousands of people were turned away at the doors, or were sent to an overflow area. Essentially every time Bernie went to speak at a rally, he had to give two speeches. He first spoke with the overflowed crowd, and then spoke to the main crowd. Bernie wanted to bring people together, and his rallies did just that.
By April 2015, Bernie had traveled for 18 months, visited 12 states, and sat through hundreds of meetings and interviews. On April 30, Bernie informally told the media he would file papers to run for president. His campaign formally began in Burlington, Vermont, on May 26, 2015, when he spoke to more than 5,000 people. (Sanders, Our Revolution, 85).
Since Iowa was the first caucus and New Hampshire was the first primary in 2016, Bernie went to these two states first, and would repeatedly go back to them. On May 27, 2015, the day after he launched his campaign, he went to his first rally at the New England College in Concord, New Hampshire. Although he got lost on the way there, he delivered his speech to 200 people in standing room only. Young people spoke about their problems during the panel. Afterward, when Bernie learned about hundreds of other people who could not fit into the room, Bernie relocated down the street in order to speak to everyone by using a megaphone. Later that night he visited the small town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and addressed 700 people. This was a large crowd for being so early on in the campaign. On the campaign’s first day in New Hampshire, Bernie spoke to 1,000 people overall from his three meetings. (Sanders, Our Revolution, 132).
He entered Iowa the next day, where he had five events scheduled during the next three days. The first event at St. Ambrose University in Davenport received a crowd of 700 people, which Bernie claimed was the “largest turnout yet” for any candidate in Iowa. Two days later, more than 1,100 people saw Bernie in Iowa City. At one point, Bernie spoke to a crowd of about 300 people in Kensett, Iowa, which surprisingly was a town of only 266 people in the previous census. (Sanders, 133).
Bernie broke his rally record in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 31, 2015. Bernie reported more than 5,000 people arrived to hear him speak at a location that only held 2,000. Another 3,000 waited outside. Bernie said this was “far and away, the largest turnout for our campaign up to that point.” (Our Revolution, 135). The Star Tribune that night was titled: “Overflow crowd in Minneapolis hears Sen. Bernie Sanders.” The next day the Minnesota Post was titled: “Bernie Sanders draws big crowd in Minneapolis.” The Tribune wrote:
“The crowd, with some people standing outside because the hall was full, seemed unconcerned with the conventional wisdom that there is no race on the Democratic side as Hillary Clinton marches toward the nomination with a pile of money, endorsements and party faithful’s love of the Clinton name.”
The Tribune continued: “Sanders’ straightforward leftism hearkens to the 1960s, and many in the crowd appeared to be veterans of battles over the Vietnam War and civil and women’s rights.”
He spoke to a standing room of 1,100 people at Keene High School in New Hampshire on June 6, for his 12th tour in the state. (Sanders, 136).
On June 20, about 5,500 people packed into a Denver, Colorado, gymnasium to hear Bernie speak in what the Washington Post described as “one of the largest political rallies of the 2016 cycle.” The Post wrote: “The extraordinary turnout was the latest evidence that Sanders, 73, has tapped into the economic anxiety of the Democratic electorate.” Common Dreams headline read: “Bernie Sanders Rally in Denver Draws One of Biggest Crowds in Election Cycle.” Fox News wrote: “It was standing-room only in the gym, which held 3,000 people, while others listened in the adjacent atrium or watched in the lacrosse field outside, where his speech was displayed on the scoreboard.”
On July 1, 2015, more than 10,000 persons went to hear Bernie at a rally in Madison, Wisconsin. This was not only the largest rally of his campaign by that point, but was the largest rally for any candidate in the race. (Sanders, 139). An MSNBC article about this event was titled: “Bernie Sanders draws biggest crowd of any 2016 candidate yet.” MSNBC explained that Hillary’s largest rally up until then was only 5,500 people at her New York City launching rally. For Republicans, Ted Cruz launched his campaign at the conservative Liberty University in front of 11,000 students, but the school of 13,000 made student attendance mandatory. Bernie would speak to 12,000 students at Liberty University in September.
Bernie returned to Iowa on the 4th of July weekend, where he held his largest even yet in the state, when 2,600 persons came out in Council Bluffs. (Sanders, 141).
After Iowa he traveled to Portland, Maine, for a rally of more than 8,000 persons on July 6, which Bernie claimed was “one of the largest political rallies that Portland had seen in a very long time.” (Sanders, 141). The Bangor Daily News agreed:
“The 2016 election may be 16 months away, but you wouldn’t know it from the thousands of people who turned out Monday evening to cheer on Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.
“What was scheduled as a town hall forum had become a full-blown rally by Monday night. Sanders’ speech was delayed by 20 minutes as organizers let in the throngs of people still awaiting entry. Estimates pegged the crowd at 8,000 to 9,000 people.”
The rally was originally set at Portland’s Ocean Gateway, but the venue only held 800. So the rally was moved to The Cross Arena, the state’s largest concert venue, which could seat up to 9,500 people. Apparently just under 9,500 attended the rally. That made it one of the largest Democratic Party rallies ever held in the state of Maine. According to an EcoWatch.com article, the largest Democratic rally ever in the state was when John F. Kennedy visited in November 1960 (just days before the election), and 14,000 people came out, but only 8,000 remained to hear Kennedy speak after arriving several hours later. Other than Kennedy’s rally, Bernie’s marked the biggest Democratic rally in the state. Bernie’s could even be considered the largest ever because more than 8,000 stayed for his speech. The next largest Democratic rally in the state was Bill Clinton’s in October 1996 (just a month prior to the election), when between 7,000 and 10,000 people showed up. Bernie’s rally is all the more impressive because his rally took place so early on in July 2015, unlike Kennedy’s and Clinton’s.
Common Dreams also revealed that Obama only received a crowd of 6,700 persons in Maine in February 2008, about 2,500 in April 2010, and only 3,000 in October 2014. Bill Clinton received less than 4,000 in November 1996, and about 4,000 in June 1993. Hillary Clinton spoke to a crowd of only 2,200 people in Maine in February 2008, only the night before the state caucus.
Bernie set another rally record on July 18, when 11,000 people showed up at his rally in Phoenix, Arizona. Prior to the rally at the Phoenix Convention Center, Bernie met with several Latino organizers. The Netroots Nation event in Phoenix was disrupted, however, by BLM activists, who denounced the use of the term “All Lives Matter.”
Bernie then had 5,200 people come out in Houston, Texas, and 8,000 in Dallas on July 19. The Texas Tribune wrote about both rallies: “Sanders’ daylong trip to Texas easily represented the most well-attended visit to the state by any presidential candidate so far this election cycle. His campaign said 8,000 people turned out in Dallas, while 5,200 showed up in Houston.”
On July 26, after rallying through Louisiana, Bernie spoke to several thousand people in Kenner. According to the New Orleans Advocate:
“Sanders packed a larger room at the center for his speech, with supporters filling bleachers and crowding into a standing-room section of the venue. Estimates by organizers suggested the crowd was about four times as large as the roughly 1,000 people who came out to see Jindal’s speech.”
Mic wrote on July 20, 2015, that Trump and Sanders were blowing everyone else away in crowd sizes at rallies. “For every candidate except Sanders and Trump,” wrote Mic, “the largest rally was a campaign kickoff event.” While Sanders and Trump were able to build on their momentum each week by touting populist-like messages, the remaining candidates lacked the enthusiasm to draw in larger and larger crowds. It also found that seven out of the eight largest rallies up until then were held by Bernie. The only exception was Cruz’s, who only reached a high number by mandating all students from Liberty University attend his address.
On July 29, 2015, Bernie launched a live stream speech, and spoke to 110,000 viewers from between 2,700 and 3,700 homes in all 50 states. (Sanders, 99). An article for Time magazine was titled: “Bernie Sanders Hosts Biggest Organizing Event of 2016 So Far.”
Bernie began touring the West in August. On August 8, at his first Western stop in Seattle, Washington, 15,000 people came to hear Bernie speak. The stadium only held 12,000 people. Before going inside Bernie spoke to the 3,000 persons outside. This marked the “all-time record high” for his campaign, but it was surpassed the very next day. (Bernie, 145). Seconds into his speech, however, three BLM activists grabbed the microphone and asked for four minutes of silence for the death of Michael Brown only the year before. Bernie stood by silently.
The new record was set in Portland, Oregon, on August 9, when a shocking 28,000 people attended the rally. The Moda Center, where the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA played, only held 19,000 people, so thousands listened from the speakers outside. (Sanders, 146). The Oregonian quoted one young person who summed up how Bernie was inspiring a generation:
““I’ve never heard anybody say anything like that before,” said Michaila Konig Taylor, a 25-year-old Bellingham, Wash. resident. “I’m not personally involved with politics, but he changed my mind because he addressed the issues I actually care about.””
The next night Bernie spoke to 27,500 people in Los Angeles, California, after being introduced by comedian Sarah Silverman. In fact, before the rally began there were several speakers from the arts community — actors, directors, writers and musicians. Within three days, Bernie drew in a total of 70,000 people to his rallies. (Sanders, 146). By mid-August 2015, according to the Washington Post, Bernie addressed more than 100,000 people overall.
On August 18, Bernie spoke to 4,500 people at the University of Nevada in Reno. The day before nearly a hundred people volunteered to get involved in the campaign, including collecting data of attendees the following day. Politico explained the success of this grassroots organizing, saying it led to the “Summer of Sanders — the string of unexpectedly large campaign rallies that’s exceeding even Barack Obama’s 2007 draws with attendance that often numbers in the tens of thousands.”
“Bernie Sanders brought his progressive populism to deeply Republican South Carolina and found enthusiastic crowds totaling 10,000 during a two-day campaign,” Common Dreams wrote. On August 21, Bernie spoke to 2,800 people in Greenville. That night he spoke to another 2,800 people in Columbia, the state capital. On August 22, Bernie spoke to 600 people in Sumpter, and discussed BLM to a crowd of 3,100 people in Charleston.
On September 11, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote that Bernie spoke to 1,200 people at his first fundraiser in Georgia. The AJC headline read: “Bernie Sanders’ First Visit to Atlanta A Raucous Ride.”
On September 13, Fox News reported that 9,000 people cheered for Bernie for 90 minutes in Greensboro, North Carolina, at the Coliseum’s Special Event Center.
Bernie broke partisan borders by speaking at the conservative Liberty University, where virtually no Democrats bothered speaking. But Bernie wanted to show his ability to gain the votes of conservatives and progressives. On September 14, 2015, he gave an eloquent speech in front of 12,000 students. Also on September 14, Bernie spoke to thousands in Manassas, Virginia, at the Prince William County Fairgrounds.
On October 3, Bernie spoke to 6,000 people in Springfield, Massachusetts. The second stop of his day was in Boston, marking his first appearance in the city, after he previously cancelled an event because he couldn’t find a space large enough at a cheap price. More than 20,000 people filled a Boston building to listen to Bernie, while 4,000 people waited outside in the overflow area. Bernie said it was the largest political rally in Boston in years. (Sanders, 155). According to the Boston Globe, Sanders rally broke the previous Democratic rally record in the city held by Barack Obama in 2007, when 10,000 persons saw him at the Boston Common. AlterNet’s article was headlined, “Bernie Sanders Holds Boston’s Largest Democratic Primary Rally Ever.” AlterNet noted that the roughly 25,000 people in Boston marked not only the largest political rally in Boston up to that time, but nationally as well. Obama spoke to 24,000 people around the same time in 2007, but that was in New York City, which had a population 10 times larger than Boston.
On October 9, 2015, Bernie spoke for the second time in his campaign in Arizona. Bernie took the stage in Tucson, Arizona, at the Reid Park Demeester Outdoor Performance Center, and spoke in front of 11,000 people.
Bernie spoke to 9,000 people in Boulder, Colorado, at Potts Field on October 10, according to CBS Denver.
On October 28, about 1,500 students saw Bernie at George Mason University in Virginia, and this speech was live streamed into 250 student meetings in every state in the country. (Bernie, 163).
On November 16, 2015, a crowd of 7,000 packed into Cleveland State University to listen to Bernie speak.
Sanders spoke out against income inequality to 4,000 people in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 22, 2015. A Fox News headline the next day read: “Sen. Bernie Sanders Speaks to Packed Crowd at Fox Theatre.” Bernie was joined on stage by Killer Mike.
Bernie traveled through Nevada on December 27. He spoke to union leaders in Sparks, while meeting with senior citizens and rural voters. That evening he spoke in front of a crowd of 2,000 people at the Reno Ballroom. On December 28, Bernie spoke at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas.
On January 23, 2016, Bernie traveled from Iowa to speak to a thousand people in Portland, Oregon, and returned back to Iowa the next day. The Oregonian the next day ran the headline, “Bernie Sanders Rally in Downtown Portland Draws Big Crowd.”
On January 24, Bernie returned from Oregon and rallied in Decorah, Iowa, and spoke to 2,000 people, despite the town only having 8,000 citizens, US Uncut reported.
On January 26, the Star Tribune reported that Bernie’s rally “packed” 6,000 people at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center in Minnesota, and at a second rally more than 14,000 people (a third of them in an overflow crowd) went to see him speak in St. Paul, Minnesota, that night.
On January 30, two days prior to the Iowa caucus, Bernie spoke to 3,802 people at the University of Iowa. The Independent Journal reported that 500 people were turned away by fire marshals because of the packed room. Online websites like US Uncut highlighted the lack of enthusiasm for Hillary Clinton, who only filled up half of a room in Iowa on January 29, with less than 200 people in attendance. Online websites also contrasted the angle of two pictures from Hillary’s rally: one not zoomed in, making it easy to tell the room is only half full, while the other was zoomed in and made it seem like the room was completely full.
Bernie lost the Iowa Caucus. Over the period of 8 months, Bernie held 101 rallies in the state, and brought out a total of 73,415 people. He received about half of the 171,109 votes for Democrats on election night. (Sanders, 171).
He won in New Hampshire after hosting 68 meetings and rallies that drew out 41,810 people in the state. On election day he received 151,584 votes, and most likely 25 percent of the people who voted for him saw him speak in person. (Sanders, 171).
On February 8, Bernie rallied at the ice hockey ring of the University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire. The band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros performed several songs.
Bernie drew in a crowd of 18,000 people at the Colorado Convention Center on February 13, 2016. The Denver Channel reported: “The turnout Saturday was nearly double that of a rally held in October at the University of Colorado in Boulder.” The lines were very long as supporters waited to get into Bellco Theatre.
Bernie came to Michigan on February 15 with a rally at Eastern Michigan University. Bernie met with a group of Flint residents at the EMU Convocation Center, before speaking to a crowd of 9,300 people.
On February 16, Bernie addressed about 5,000 people at Forbes Arena at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Nina Turner and Killer Mike joined Bernie on stage.
The Hartford Courant reported that Bernie spoke to 7,500 supporters at the University of Massachusetts on February 22. As always, Bernie’s supporters formed a line out of the place before the doors opened: “Sanders’ supporters were out in force, lining up in the early afternoon for the 7 p.m. speech.”
On February 24, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 6,500 people listened to Bernie inside Tulsa’s Cox Business Center, while 2,000 people waited outside, reported Tulsa World.
On February 27, 2016, Bernie did rallies in Austin and Dallas, Texas, and a third rally in Rochester, Minnesota. His first rally attracted about 10,000 people to an Austin-area racetrack. Bernie rallied in the afternoon at the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie. Just over 7,000 people overfilled the stadium that only held 6,300. Around 2,600 attended the rally in Minnesota that night.
On February 28, he spoke in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Fort Collins, Colorado. Bernie attracted an estimated 6,000 people to his Oklahoma City rally at the Cox Convention Center Arena. He was introduced by Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips. At Colorado State University thousands filled the Moby Arena. The Coloradoan headline the next day read, “Sanders Packs Rally in ‘Must-Win’ Colorado.” The Coloradoan wrote: “A line formed hours before the doors opened at 4 p.m., and Moby Arena’s 8,745 seats were almost full by the time Sanders began speaking just after 7 p.m. — the only empty seats that remained were in the rafters.” This meant over 8,000 people attended the rally.
On February 29, he spoke in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Milton, Massachusetts. “Call him the Energizer Bernie,” USA Today wrote about Bernie traveling all over. USA Today estimated 2,250 people attended the Minneapolis rally. An estimated 3,600 people gathered in a hot Milton High School Gymnasium in Massachusetts. He returned home to Vermont for Super Tuesday on March 1. (Sanders, 173) Bernie won Vermont, Colorado, Minnesota and Oklahoma on March 1. But Hillary still won that day, once again winning the southern states. She also won a slim victory in Massachusetts — 50.1 percent against 48.7 percent.
More than 10,000 people came out to hear Bernie speak at Michigan State University on March 2. Lansing State Journal wrote:
“Lines to get into the building wrapped around the Breslin Center hours before Sanders took to the podium. Several hundred attendees sat or stood on the floor, while roughly 10,000 filled the surrounding benches and seats, with some even catching the speech from high above in the upper level.”
Sanders stopped in Traverse City, Michigan, early on March 4. That night thousands came out to see Bernie speak at Grand Valley State University Fieldhouse in Allendale, Michigan. More than 1,000 people listened to Bernie at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan, on March 5.
Bernie rallied in Dearborn, Michigan, on March 7. Supporters waited outside in line for over two hours before the event at the 1,200-seat facility began. Later that day he rallied in front of 5,750 people at the Crisler Center on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor.
Both Sanders and Clinton arrived in Tampa, Florida, on March 10. Clinton attracted only 600 people to her rally that day. This was in “stark” contrast, Inquisitr.com wrote, to Bernie’s rally that brought together 9,000 people at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Florida Politics wrote that the 9,000 people were a “multicultural mix of citizens” mostly under the age of 30. Delighted to see Sanders enthusiasm, Florida Politics commented that Bernie was bringing passion to the Democratic race “that otherwise seemingly would be a non-eventful coronation for Hillary Clinton.”
On March 11, four days prior to North Carolina primary, Bernie spoke to the filled up 2,300-seat Memorial Auditorium in Raleigh, as well as the 1,000 people who stood outside. The News&Observer reported: “The attendees, an overwhelmingly young audience, never eased up on their cheering and chanting. And that was before Sanders even appeared on stage before a giant American flag and bleachers full of supporters.”
On March 14, the Charlotte Observer wrote that 6,000 people listened to his speech at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, North Carolina. This was his second rally in North Carolina in three days. The Charlotte Observer made the same observation about Bernie’s Charlotte rally as News&Observer made about his Raleigh rally:
“The mostly young crowd at the Charlotte pavilion — usually a venue for music concerts — welcomed him with a level of enthusiasm that was notable even for a political rally. They waved signs, chanted his name and roared with approval when he mentioned his signature pledges: For free tuition at public universities, for expanding Medicare to provide health care for everybody, for raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour — and against letting Wall Street and the wealthiest 1 percent control the American political system.”
On March 18, Fox News reported more than 14,000 people attended Bernie’s rally that day at This is the Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City, Utah. “Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, said she is backing Sanders in Tuesday’s Democratic caucus.”
On March 20, 2016, thousands waited in line in the rain for hours in Vancouver, Washington, where Bernie spoke to the packed room of 4,700 people. Bernie didn’t speak to the packed room until he spoke to the overflowing room of thousands, as well as “the thousands more huddled outside in the rain.” Newsweek reported about the massive and diverse rally:
“Thousands of people apparently agree with Anaya and Vega, and they snaked along sidewalks in lines that stretched from the high school’s gymnasium for blocks, umbrellas or no, challenging delegate math or no. Those who made it into the 4,700-capacity space awaited their candidate to a soundtrack of tunes with the word “revolution” in their titles, from the likes of Bob Marley and Tracy Chapman and Steve Earle. There were “Natives for Bernie” and “Nurses for Bernie” signs and multicolored hair and velvet pants, in as racially diverse a crowd as this overwhelmingly caucasian part of the country seemingly could muster.”
The rain also failed to deter people away from Bernie’s second rally that day in Seattle, Washington. Hours before Bernie was set to speak in Seattle, an estimated crowd of 20,000–30,000 lined up to get into the Key Arena that only held 17,584 people. KIRO 7 headline read: “Crowd Tops 17,300 for Bernie Sanders Rally in Seattle.” KIRO 7 wrote: “Crowds inside the arena topped 10,300, and more than 5,400 gathered outside. More than 1,000 people left after fans couldn’t fit into the arena.” Bernie spoke to the overflowing crowds before addressing the crowd inside.
The line began to form around 10:30 A.M., even though the rally began around 5:40 P.M. The line was so long it wrapped around both sides of the arena (former home of the NBA’s Seattle Supersonics). The Stranger reported that the line wrapped around the Seattle Center Grounds, past the EMP, and to the Space Needle. “The Seattle rally will be the second one in the last three days to top 14,000,” Political USA wrote. Political USA continued:
“While Donald Trump continues to con the media into believing that he is the candidate who is bringing new voters into the political process, it is Bernie Sanders who is exciting younger voters and energizing massive crowds from coast to coast.”
Political USA also pointed out the contrast between Bernie’s peaceful rallies and Trump’s violent rallies: “Sanders is drawing crowds that are too big for professional sports arenas. According to Donald Trump, the supporters of Sen. Sanders instigate violence, but 20,000–30,000 supporters have gathered in Seattle with zero reports of violence.”
On March 22, actress Rosario Dawson introduced Bernie in San Diego, California, with anywhere from 8,800 to 12,000 supporters at the Convention Center. Dawson made a passionate plea to vote for Bernie: “Youth has been on the right side of history on every issue.” MyNewsLA reported:
“Among thousands cheering for Sanders were many jeering any mention of Hillary Clinton on a large screen showing CNN or MSNBC results of voting in Arizona, Utah and Idaho. At one point, a brief chant began: “Turn it off! Turn it off!” referring to the TV.”
Bernie’s religious symbolism was tested on March 25, Good Friday. The Jewish Senator spoke to 11,000 people at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, when a bird landed right on his podium during his speech. It quickly led to the hashtag #BirdieSanders.
On March 26, Bernie may have broken his previous 28,000 person rally record from Portland, Oregon, the year before. Apparently 20,000 people waited at the Seattle rally, which was delayed nearly an hour because roughly 10,000 people were still waiting in line. This meant it potentially topped 30,000 people. USUncut reported it may have broken Trump’s record of 30,000 people in Mobile, Alabama, in 2015.
On March 31, Bernie began his campaign in New York by hosting a rally in the impoverished South Bronx. He was introduced to the crowd of 18,000 people by actress Rosario Dawson and director Spike Lee.
“Sanders rally breaks Zorn Arena attendance record,” read the title of the WEAU. More than 4,300 people attended Bernie’s rally in the Zorn Arena in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on April 2. Only 3,400 people were able to fit in the auditorium, while the rest packed into an overflow room.
Both Bernie and Hillary campaigned in Philadelphia on April 6. Bernie no doubt held the larger rally. 6 ABC News sent in a chopper to record the massive line outside Temple University’s Liacouras Center for Bernie. They lined up hours ahead of time, even though the rally didn’t start until 8 P.M. The line “wrapped around the building and stretched nearly a mile long and a number of people wide.” The 10,200-seat arena inside Temple University was filled to capacity, as an overflow of thousands of others were placed in the McGonigle Hall practice facility, where they were addressed by Bernie before he spoke to the main crowd. Philly.com wrote: “As doors opened, the racially mixed but mostly white and under-30 crowd still wound around the four-square-block arena.”
Prior to the massive Temple University rally, according to Philly.com, Bernie “addressed a smaller, supportive crowd of about 250 people at Tindley Temple United Methodist Church at Broad and Fitzwater Streets in South Philadelphia.” The Sanders event was billed as a #BlackVoters Matter community conversation — “though about two-thirds of the crowd appeared to be white.”
On April 11, nearly 11,000 people squeezed into Bernie’s rally at University of Buffalo, NY, while Bernie shook hands and spoke with those standing in the rain because they were turned away. Thousands of people began lining up around 8 A.M, even though the doors did not open until 4 P.M. Bernie first spoke to the 3,000 people unable to get in, before speaking to the crowd of 8,000 persons in Alumni Arena. As the Spectrum wrote: “Those who didn’t make it inside watched Sanders’ speech on a video board outside the arena.”
Bernie addressed a crowd at the Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex in Rochester, NY, on April 12.
On April 13, he spoke to 27,032 people at Washington Square Park in Manhattan, which was reported to be the largest political rally ever held there. Vampire Weekend kicked off the rally with music. The Boston Globe reported that it was the single largest rally held in the NY primary, until Bernie broke that record again a few days later.
On April 17, he spoke at Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Actor Danny DeVito and Democrat Tulsi Gabbard introduced him to the crowd of 28,356 people. (Sanders, 176). Music was played by Grizzly Bear and the hip-hop duo EPMD. Grizzly Bear played “Knife,” but changed the lyrics from “can’t you feel the knife” to “can’t you feel the Bern.” CNN wrote that he drew a “record” amount of people. The Boston Globe wrote: “That was the biggest rally of Sanders presidential campaign.”
On April 21, Bernie held a town hall event at the Scranton Cultural Center in Pennsylvania. At its longest, wrote WNEP, “the line of Sanders’ supporters completed a circle around a city block. Folks at the front of the line were there as early as 7 a.m.” WNEP continued: “The crowd in downtown Scranton mirrored the one on Penn State’s Main Campus in Centre County earlier this week with lots of young people.”
On Saturday, April 23, Bernie spoke in front of 6,600 people in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore Sun wrote: “Sanders supporters ringed the blocks surrounding the arena hours before his noon rally. The crowd began forming in the early morning despite rain that forced a move to the arena from Druid Hill Park.” Baltimore Magazine wrote that “the light rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of the Democratic presidential candidate’s supporters.” Baltimore Magazine continued:
“Sanders was introduced by Baltimore activist Kwame Rose, who garnered national attention last April after confronting Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera during protests following the death of Freddie Gray; as well as Baltimore native Ben Jealous, the former head of the NAACP; actors Kendrick Sampson and Danny Glover; and state delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez.”
Baltimore Magazine noted that Clinton’s rally in “South Baltimore two weeks ago drew about 1,000 supporters, but the former secretary of state has earned the endorsement of Maryland’s elected officials, including Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, and Rep. Elijah Cummings. She has also led Sanders by a significant margin in state polling throughout the election season.”
Yet, the Baltimore Sun noted that Clinton’s lead failed to take the energy out of Bernie’s supporters: “The event brought out a mix of races and generations — many attended despite forebodings that Sanders’ candidacy was not destined to succeed.” The Baltimore Sun continued on that same note: “From the reaction of Saturday’s crowd at the Royal Farms Arena, Sanders might as well have been leading by double-digits. They cheered lustily as he called for free tuition at public colleges and Medicare coverage for all, and they booed with gusto as he castigated the “billionaire class” he accused of buying elections.”
That same day, he spoke in front of 3,000 people in Wilmington, Delaware, after being introduced by Rosario Dawson. The more than 3,000 in attendance were mostly “high school and college students,” according to Delaware Online. The rally took place at the Chase Center on the Riverfront. (“Five of Delaware’s superdelegates, including Gov. Jack Markell and its whole congressional delegation, support Clinton. If any of the remaining ones hope Sanders becomes the nominee, they haven’t said so openly.”)
On Sunday, April 24, more than 14,000 supporters heard him speak in New Haven, Connecticut. On Monday, April 25, on the eve of five East Coast states elections, Bernie spoke to an over-crowded room of 3,200 people at Drexel University in Philly. NPR noted that his Philly rally was twice the size of Hillary’s rally at Philly City Hall.
On April 28, Bernie spoke to at least 8,000 supporters at an outdoor rally at Island Park in Springfield, Oregon.
Nearly 8,000 people heard Bernie speak at Rutgers University in New Jersey on May 8. NJ.com wrote that the rally was “unlike anything most voters have seen here in recent memory.” He was introduced by director of the Communications Workers of America, Hetty Rosenstein. NJ.com wrote: “The cheers that filled the room and echoed off the walls of Rutgers University’s Louis Brown Athletic Center in Piscataway turned into roars of support when Sanders preached fighting income inequality, the war or drugs and racial discrimination.” On May 9, he privately met with rank-and-file members of Atlantic City’s Unite Here Local 54, before speaking to a thousand supporters in the casino city. The Press of Atlantic City reported that Bernie spoke to over 1,000 people at the Adrian Phillips Ballroom.
Bernie’s Sacramento rally on May 9 of 16,000 people foreshadowed what was to come in the upcoming weeks of Bernie’s tour through California. Actor Danny Glover introduced Sanders, “who got a rock star welcome from supporters who filled an outdoor stadium,” wrote ABC7. People fainted in the long lines to get inside. “People waited in line for hours in the hot sun and some were overcome by the heat and needed medical attention.”
KCRA3 wrote how Bernie was going to cities often ignored by candidates: “It’s not often that presidential candidates visit Sacramento for campaign rallies. John Kennedy visited by train in 1960 and Bill Clinton held a rally in 1992; the same year that third-party candidate Ross Perot campaigned at the Capitol. Republican nominee John McCain swung through Sacramento in 2008.” Political analyst Laurel Rosenhall of CALmatters said Sanders picked Sacramento and Stockton for strategic reasons. “And my guess is that he’s probably trying to tap into that populist feeling of economic insecurity and anger at the banks.”
Bernie traveled to Salem, Oregon, on May 10, and spoke at the Salem Armory auditorium, “which had all of its more than 2,000 seats filled, with hundreds more standing or sitting before the candidate’s podium.” Bernie spoke to the packed crowd of 2,000 people in the auditorium, as hundreds more remained outside.
Also on May 10, Bernie spoke to thousands at Weber Point Event Center in Stockton, California, for his two-day campaign tour in the Valley. ABC7 wrote about the rally: “People initially gathered on the sidewalk in the pre-dawn darkness. By the time the sun came up, signs, t-shirts and flags proudly proclaiming “Feel the Bern” were everywhere.” He was introduced by Stockton councilman Michael Tubbs. Sanders spoke at an amphitheater near the spot where the city’s Christmas tree went up in flames in December. The Modesto Bee wrote: “It was the closest to Modesto a major presidential candidate has gotten, and area residents joined the crowd.” The song “Disco Inferno” played with the beat “Burn, baby, burn.” The Modesto Bee continued: “Everything Sanders said was met with roars of approval by a crowd diverse in age and ethnicity.”
On May 17, Bernie spoke to an estimated 21,000 people at Cal State Dominquez Hills in Carson, California. ABC7 reported: “About 8,000 people were inside the rally held at the StubHub Center while another 13,000 were at an overflow area, according to Sanders’ campaign team.” Bernie was introduced by actor Danny Glover. During the event it was announced that Bernie won Oregon, while Clinton declared victory in a close race in Kentucky.
Bernie traveled to the Bay Area on May 18. He first rallied that day in San Jose, and then made an impromptu stop at a San Francisco labor rally for hotel workers. That night he spoke to about 10,000 people in Vallejo. Consortium News wrote about the Vallejo rally: “The gathering was held in a huge grassy area alongside the water estuary. The area was enclosed with security fencing so that audience members all had to pass through metal detectors. Ninety minutes before Sanders’ speech, the line to go through the security screening was half a mile long. Yet spirits were high with a buzz in the air.” He continued to hold two or three rallies a day in the state.
Bernie rallied in National City, California, on May 21, along with comedian George Lopez at Kimball Park. Then on May 22, Bernie rallied in Southern California. “Divergent” actress Shailene Woodley introduced Sanders at his Vista, California, event at Rancho Buena Vista High School. That same day he spoke to a crowd of 16,000 in Irvine, Orange County at Meadows Amphitheater.
Early on May 23, Bernie spoke to a large audience at a Lincoln Heights rally in Lincoln Park. He was introduced by actress Rosario Dawson. Doors opened at 9AM, “with long lines to get in forming before then,” reported KTLA5. That evening Bernie spoke to around 6,700 people on the football field at Santa Monica High School. Speakers included actress Rosario Dawson and Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke.
As thousands listened to Bernie’s free rallies on May 23, Hillary held exclusive events that naturally excluded poor people. Clinton held two Los Angeles-area campaign fundraisers on May 23, “beginning with a $2,700 per person early-evening fundraiser at the home of Bryan Lourd and Bruce Bozzi.” Individuals raising $10,000 were co-hosts of the event and had a photo taken with Clinton. ABC7 reported: “An evening fundraiser in Hancock Park followed, with tickets priced at $1,000. Individuals raising $20,000 had a photo taken with Clinton.” As the Los Angeles Daily News headline read: “Bernie Sanders Holding 2 LA-area Rallies, Hillary Clinton Doing 2 Fundraisers.”
Bernie held three rallies in the Southland on May 24. His first rally was at the Anaheim Convention Center, marking his third rally in 24 hours. At his second rally that day, Bernie spoke to around 2,300 people at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium. He was introduced by local event organizer Jasmine Hintz and actor Kendrick Sampson. “Sanders was met with a roar from the crowd upon taking the stage and proceeded to thank attendees for their support.” That night Bernie spoke to 5,200 people in San Bernardino.
On May 25, Bernie filled a ball-field called Big League Dreams in Cathedral City, California, with over 1,000 supporters. Desert Sun wrote: “For many of them, the rally was a first. The Coachella Valley doesn’t see presidential candidates often. Some visit for fundraisers, but public rallies like Wednesday’s are rare because of California’s June primary date and its reputation for voting blue in November elections.”
On May 26, Bernie rallied first at Ventura College and then in Pomona at Ganesha High School. This marked his fifth straight day of campaigning in the Southland. The VC Star wrote that 9,800 people attended the Ventura College rally. Quest News reported at least 2,000 people in Pomona.
Bernie’s Lancaster rally on Thursday, May 26, received tons of attention, after someone edited a video having Bernie emerge on stage to the DMX’s song “Where the hood at?” and posted it online without warning. By Saturday, May 28, the Bernie campaign came out saying the campaign never played that song, and the original editor of the video finally admitted of editing the video.
Bernie rallied on May 27 in San Pedro. Sanders held a late-morning rally at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, addressing a crowd of over 1,000 people. This meant Bernie “has spent six straight days aggressively campaigning in the Southland ahead of the June 7 primary,” ABC7 reported. Justice Gazette wrote about the long line to see Bernie speak: “The line to see Bernie Sanders at his Los Angeles Harbor rally stretched for 1.5 miles from the entrance gate to the Vincent Thomas Bridge.” The event was only publicized in private emails, and was held on behalf of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and National Nurses United.
On May 28, Bernie rallied at the Kern County fairgrounds in Bakersfield, CA. Writing about Bernie’s May 26 Pomona rally and the May 28 Bakersfield rally, LA Times observed:
“The crowds at both events were largely young, heavily Latino and predominantly working class. In both places, Sanders delivered the same speech — the same one he has given in every corner of America — with no need for a teleprompter. It is the consistent content of that message and the way he delivers it that has made him a completely unanticipated force in this campaign.”
23ABC wrote: “Sanders said he decided to make a stop in Bakersfield because there are a lot of agriculture and farm worker issues that are very important to him.” CNN reported: “In Bakersfield, Sanders held an intimate community conversation with Latino leaders, where panelists and audience members shared stories of the plights facing farmworkers in the San Joaquin Valley.”
An estimated 8,500 people listened to Bernie in Fresno, California, on May 29. “Under the swaying palm trees on a sweltering Sunday at the Fresno Fairgrounds,” wrote the Fresno Bee, Bernie spoke from the stage at the Paul Paul Theater. Yet, the Theater’s 5,000-person set up was vastly overwhelmed by the audience. “So many people showed up that the gates had to be closed, leaving a large crowd to listen on loudspeakers outside the theater.”
At least 20,000 people came out to listen to Bernie on May 30 at the Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, California. ABC7 wrote: “The atmosphere was part carnival, part rock concert with some politics mixed.” Supporters began lining up in the morning before the gates opened. The line extended all the way to the downtown area. A group of animal rights protesters rushed the stage and were led away by Secret Service. ABC7 noted the enthusiasm in the crowd: “The math may be against them, but there’s no give-up in those here who are feeling the Bern. They’re not ready to throw their support behind Hillary Clinton, at least not before the convention.”
Bernie held two events on May 31 in the Monterey Bay area: one in Emeryville, Santa Cruz, and the other in Monterey, CA. Thousands packed the Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz to capacity, according to ABC7. “Everybody was just going nuts, it was almost like a concert, like people were seeing Fall Out Boy or One Direction, or something like that,” said Santa Cruz resident William Prusinowski. In Monterey, the event was at the Colton Hall Lawn.
On June 1, Bernie spoke to over 2,000 people in Palo Alto, CA. Bernie addressed the crowd in a yellow Golden State Warriors cap. Palo Alto Online wrote about the excitement stemming from the rally: “And even after standing for several hours on a synthetic turf at Cubberley Community Center on an unusually hot day, many left the center more energized and thrilled than when they came in.” Also on June 1, Bernie spoke to a massive crowd at UC Davis, estimated at 18,000.
Bernie addressed “thousands of people” at a rally in Modesto, California, on June 2. The Medesto Bee wrote that Bernie spoke to “a capacity crowd of about 2,300 at Modesto Centre Plaza.” Fox40 reported: “Long before the crack of dawn, die-hard fans awaited Bernie Sanders’ arrival.” Bernie was the “first presidential candidate to make a stop in Modesto since 2007, when Republican candidate John McCain held a rally there.” Bernie was briefly interrupted by a protester. Sanders held another rally that day in Chico, and headed to Fairfield the following day.
On June 3, Bernie spoke in Cloverdale, California, in front of 6,000 people at Cloverdale Municipal Airport. This came fresh off a 3-day swing through the Bay Area. Bernie chose to rally in Cloverdale, Sonoma County’s northernmost outpost, with a population of 8,700, “because of its rural location and his affinity for small communities.” As Press Democrat wrote: “As expected from the crowds Sanders has drawn in two dozen rallies across California, young people were on hand in droves.” Also on June 3, Bernie spoke at Solano Community College Quad. Two crowd members required medical attention because the temperature was 99 degrees outside.
Bernie spoke to 13,500 supporters at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Olympic Plaza on June 4. LA Coliseum wrote: “Since mid-May he has drawn large crowds, more than 211,000 Californians to hear him at rallies, as at the Los Angeles Coliseum.” Those who spoke or performed included Josh Fox, Shailene Woodley, actress Susan Sarandon, Dick Van Dyke and Grammy-winning band Ozomatli. Billboard wrote: “Unlike Clinton’s star-studded fundraising concert on Monday with performances by Ricky Martin, Stevie Wonder, John Legend and Christina Aguilera and ticket prices ranging from $45 to $5,000, Sanders’ event, held at the Los Angeles Coliseum, was free and open to the public.” That same day Bernie held a town hall meeting on immigration with Representative Raul Grijalva at the Casa del Mexicano community center in the Boyle Heights neighborhood east of downtown Los Angeles.
Bernie returned to San Diego on June 5, and spoke in Mission Valley at the Qualcomm Stadium. KPBS reported at least 4,000 people attended. NBC7 reported: “The rally included appearances by celebrities like George Lopez and Shailene Woodley, as well as Nahko and Medicine for the People, Michael Mowgli & The Altruists and Joel Rafael.” Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Kendrick Sampson and Dr. Cornel West also joined Bernie.
On June 6, Bernie spoke to over 200 supporters at the City College Mission center in California. Later that day he campaigned at the Joseph Lee Recreation Center in San Francisco, California. Bernie Sanders wrapped up his campaign with a concert and rally at Crissy Field, featuring Dave Matthews, Fantastic Negrito, Fishbone and Yarn. Bernie was joined on stage by Danny Glover, Shailene Woodley, Dr. Cornel West, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Ohio State Senator Nina Turner, and SF Supervisor Jane Kim.
By Election Day, June 7, Bernie held 46 events in the state that drew out an unprecedented 274,951 people. (Sanders, 92). Bernie lost the state by seven percent. The Washington Post reported about Bernie’s large rallies after the CA primary, claiming that 24 out of the 40 events hosted drew over 5,000 people. Five rallies surpassed 10,000 people. Yet Clinton’s largest event in CA during that time was only 6,000 people. That means Clinton’s single largest rally in CA was matched or surpassed by Bernie over 20 times.
All the mass stadiums were emptied after Bernie lost the primary. The historic long-lines shriveled away. The unusually, but delightfully, over-enthusiastic crowds were tamed once again into passivity. This was true for the Democrats, at least. As for Trump, he did exceptionally well at drawing large crowds all the way to the general election. Clinton’s rallies didn’t do so well. And sometimes what would have been a rally for Bernie turned into Clinton having closed meetings with donors. And, to be fair, Bernie’s rallies for Clinton after the primary were not what they used to be. Numbers and enthusiasm diminished at Bernie rallies in the general compared to his primary days.
But now it is 2019, and Bernie is campaigning in massive stadiums once again.
