Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (D) spoke at the Orpheum Theater Friday night as part of a nationwide tour hosted by NextGen America, MoveOn Political Action and the Working Families Party.
The tour — called the Our Future Is Now Tour — aimed to garner youth support in key states ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections. Organizers of the tour are visiting Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Texas, according to the website.
As part of the Wisconsin segment of the tour, Sanders spoke in Eau Claire, La Crosse and Madison Friday.
At the event, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and leaders from NextGen America, MoveOn Political Action and the Working Families Party spoke on the importance of voting. Speakers shared anecdotes with the audience — explaining the importance of voting in the upcoming election.
UW Elections Research Center offers insight into state, national elections
After organization leaders spoke, Sen. Sanders was brought to the stage — where he was met with crowd members chanting his name.
But Sanders quickly showed his support for Wisconsin’s Democratic candidate for Senate, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.
“This is not about Bernie,” Sanders said. “It is about you and getting Mandela Barnes into the U.S. Senate.”
In his speech, Sanders discussed important issues at stake in the midterm elections, including abortion access, education policies, climate change, economic concerns and more.
Sanders emphasized the importance of making one’s voice heard through voting.
“This election here in Wisconsin is vitally important — not only to the people of this great state, but it is important to the United States of America,” Sanders said. “What happens here in Wisconsin — whether Mandela [Barnes] wins or not — could determine who controls the United States Senate.”
Wisconsin’s Senate race is expected to be tight, meaning that every vote cast will be critical, according to Sanders.
Sanders told the audience about his experiences with narrow victories — sharing that he once won a mayoral race in Vermont by just 10 votes.
“This is a very big deal,” Sanders said. “And this will be a very close election.”
The youth vote will be especially important in this narrow election, Sanders said to the audience.
Sanders asked audience members to encourage everybody they knew to make a plan to vote in the final days before the election.
“This is the most consequential midterm election,” Sanders said. “It is the most important and significant in our lifetimes.”
Following Sanders’ speech, there was a musical performance by American rapper Cordae to excite the audience about the upcoming election.
