Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) appeared convinced their brand of progressive politics is resonating in traditionally Republican states as they spoke at a filled-to-capacity arena in Idaho.
For weeks, the Vermont senator has been drawing large crowds to his nationwide Fighting Oligarchy tour, with the New York congresswoman often featuring as a guest speaker.
While it might be expected that the duo could sell out venues in their Democratic heartlands, both indicated they believe it’s notable that they’ve also been drawing huge crowds in red states.
On Monday night, the crowd at Nampa’s Ford Idaho Center was at full capacity of 12,500, the Idaho Capital Sun reported, as Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez attacked the economic damage caused by the Trump administration and championed universal healthcare.
The night before, they spoke to a crowd of 20,000 to the south in Salt Lake City, Utah.
In any case, attracting thousands of people to a Monday night political rally in a non-election year is no mean feat.
But President Donald Trump won Idaho by 36.5 percentage points in 2024, and no Democratic presidential candidate has taken the state since President Lyndon Johnson in 1964, underlining the scale of the fight in the Gem State.
And yet, despite the record suggesting Idahoans wouldn’t be very interested in what Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are selling, both were in a bullish mood.
“Alexandria, they told us this was a conservative state,” Sanders said after being introduced by his touring partner to huge cheers from the crowd. “They got it wrong.”
Sanders, the 83-year-old who has twice run for president, addressed critics dismissive of lawmakers who “come from some of the most liberal and blue states in the country.”
He continued, “We don’t accept this blue state–red state nonsense. We are the United States of America, not red states, not blue states.”
During her address, Ocasio-Cortez also responded to those questioning why they’re visiting Idaho.
“I’ll give you one simple answer,” she added. “It’s because you matter.”
Ocasio-Cortez, who recounted her own economic struggles caused by the 2008 financial crash, went on to claim, “We are here for the long haul, Idaho.”
“We’re here to flip this state,” she continued, arguing she wants to build towards giving the “boot” to Republican representatives in Congress and replace them with “a brawling Democrat who will stand up for the working people of Idaho.”
She added, “If places like Tennessee and Kentucky and West Virginia could be blue and go to red, Idaho can go from red to blue.”
