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After Sanders Visit, Central Valley Is Politics Ground Zero

Jeffrey Hess/KVPR
Bernie Sanders in Fresno

The Central Valley has been a political hotbed for the last week and might even see another presidential candidate come through before the primary election next Tuesday.

Sunday night, Democratic Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders spoke at the Fresno Fairgrounds, rehashing many of his policy positions like tuition-free college and Wall Street reform as well as Valley-centric issues like health care for farm workers.

But he also took square aim at the presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.

“Trump will not become president because the American people understand that our strength is in our diversity,” Sanders said.

Sanders took some small swipes at his rival Hillary Clinton but saved his strongest attacks for Trump. However, Sanders did criticize the primary election process and campaign financing that many of his supporters see as rigged against him.

“And the truth is that we have a corrupt campaign finance system in which billionaires are buying elections. When billionaires buy elections, that is not called democracy; that is called oligarchy. We will not accept that,” Sanders said.

Sanders drew several thousand to the speech but unlike last week’s Trump speech there were no protesters.

Sanders’ path to the nomination is very slim even if he does pull strong support in California and the Central Valley. But his supporters, like Marcus James, say they’re still thinking ‘Bernie or Bust.’

“Oh no, no, no, not for Hillary. Because I believe she is not the right choice to represent America. Yes, we do need a first woman as a president but I do not believe she is ready to be president of the United States to represent us and not just represent herself,” James said.

Several local media outlets are also reporting that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton is also expected to speak in the Central Valley within the next week. Her campaign has confirmed she will be in California but has not said where.

Jeffrey Hess is a reporter and Morning Edition news host for Valley Public Radio. Jeffrey was born and raised in a small town in rural southeast Ohio. After graduating from Otterbein University in Columbus, Ohio with a communications degree, Jeffrey embarked on a radio career. After brief stops at stations in Ohio and Texas, and not so brief stops in Florida and Mississippi, Jeffrey and his new wife Shivon are happy to be part Valley Public Radio.