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Hundreds Show Up For Sen. Sanders In Reno

Stephanie Serrano

Hundreds of voters gathered in Reno Monday night for Senator Bernie Sanders’ third visit to the Silver State. KUNR’s Stephanie Serrano was there and spoke with regional voters.

The Democratic presidential candidate spoke at a ballroom at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, which was packed with hundreds of supporters. He stood next to his wife, referring to her as the next First Lady.

Sanders started his speech by bringing attention to the mistreatment of Native Americans in the US, and he wasted no time addressing the president, calling him the most dangerous president.

"This country cannot accept a president who is racist, sexist, a homophobe, xenophobe and a religious bigot," Sanders said. 

Some of the voters at the event who said they’re undecided are torn between the Vermont Senator and Democratic Candidate Elizabeth Warren. Samuel Sussman says he supports Sanders because he’s not sure Warren will follow through.

“To me, he seems so authentic; he's the only candidate that I can trust,”  Sussman said.  “There's some other candidates, like Elizabeth Warren, for instance, who has really progressive ideas, but I'm not so sure that she's going to fight on them. I know Bernie is in for the right reasons and not for money.”

Sanders said he will be a leader in fighting global climate change, raising the minimum wage, along with providing affordable health care and free tuition for colleges and universities.

Maria Torres attended in support of her 17-year-old daughter Jennifer, who will be a first-time voter next year. Torres said in order to build a strong community, the country needs to start supporting young people who want to go to college.

“Para ellas algo de lo más importante es tener acceso a la educación,” dijo Torres. “Hay veces que ellos no tienen acceso si no cuentan con un scholarship que los están ayudando con y  muchos de ellos deciden mejor desistir en sus sueños de perseguir una carrera.”

(“For them, one of the most important things is to have access to higher education,” Torres said. “Often, the only way to get to college means relying on a scholarship to help, and so many of them decide to give up on their dreams of pursuing a career because of it.”)

Sanders is making his last two stops in Nevada Tuesday in Las Vegas.

Stephanie Serrano (she/her/ella) is an award-winning multimedia bilingual journalist based in Reno, Nevada. Her reporting is powered by character-driven stories and is rooted in sound-rich audio. Her storytelling works to share the experiences of unserved communities in regards to education, race, affordable housing and sports.
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