Sen. Bernie Sanders will speak Friday at MiraCosta College as part of his national tour rallying Democrats ahead of the midterms.
The 2016 presidential candidate — a Vermont independent who lost the race to Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party’s nomination — will speak on behalf of 49th Congressional District candidate Mike Levin.
“I have heard he will talk of how Democrats have to provide a positive alternative to the Trump agenda,” said John Mattes of Pacific Beach, an early organizer for Sanders. “In his speech, he talks [about] the importance of this election.”
Sanders will appear in the college gym at 1 Barnard Drive in Oceanside, with doors opening at 6 p.m. for a 6:15 rally. The event is free, but RSVPs are being invited.
On Tuesday, William Rodriguez-Kennedy of San Diego Democrats for Equality tweeted: “I am proud to announce that the California Young Democrats is hosting U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders at MiraCosta College this Friday, October 26th at 6pm! This event is free and open to registered voters.”
He also posted on Facebook.
Two weeks ago, San Diego Free Press reported that Sanders would visit San Diego to speak on behalf of Levin (facing Republican Diane Harkey in the 49th District) and 50th Congressional District candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar, opposing Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter.
But Thursday, spokesman Nick Singer said Campa-Najjar would appear at a long-planned event Friday night in Escondido hosted by Vote Common Good, a Christian-based group seeking to boost Democrats in the midterms.
“This conflicts with the other rally in Oceanside that is for Mike Levin and his district,” Singer said. “In the final 11 days, each candidate should be focused on their districts, which is what both Ammar and Mike are doing.”
Highlighting his faith amid suggestions by Hunter that he’s a Muslim, Campa-Najjar said: “I’m honored to be the official guest speaker for Common Good’s rally in CA50. Jesus called on his followers to love our neighbors as ourselves, I look forward to sharing the grace, love and life of Christ with attendees.”
The Sanders tour was expected to hit Indiana, Michigan, South Carolina, Iowa, Wisconsin, Arizona, Colorado and Nevada.
The Orange County Register said Wednesday that Sanders, 77, would be joined at some Southern California stops by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom — stumping for governor — and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
“He’s on the tail end of a nine-state trip in support of Democratic candidates, many in potential swing states,” the Register said. “Sanders last visited Southern California in June, speaking in Anaheim in support of wage increases for Disney employees and Los Angeles and Long Beach port workers.”
Sanders — seen as a possible 2020 presidential contender — was in Colorado on Wednesday, visiting campuses in Boulder and Fort Collins and a fund-raiser in Denver.
“During the approximately 30 minutes he spoke, Sanders touched on many of the issues he promoted during his 2016 presidential run and has continued to espouse in the two years since Trump was elected — free college tuition, universal health care and what he sees as a political system stacked toward billionaires who are able ‘to buy elections,’” said the Denver Post after his University of Colorado stop in Boulder.
Updated at 6:20 p.m. Oct. 25, 2018
@SenSanders has just concluded the rally. Crowd shouts his name repeated. Story coming tonight from @CSUCollegian pic.twitter.com/0TkiKRVcpE
— Haley Candelario (@H_Candelario98) October 25, 2018
