Sanders Campaign Press Release - 2,000 Turn Out at Big Reno Rally for Bernie

RENO, Nev. – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Sunday brought his campaign for the Democratic Party presidential nomination to the Reno Ballroom here and told more than 2,000 supporters that "with your support we're going to win here in Nevada."

"We have a path toward victory not only to win this election but most importantly to transform our country," Sanders told Nevadans.

Sanders leads Hillary Clinton in recent polls in New Hampshire and is within striking distance of the lead in Iowa. After Iowa's Feb. 1 precinct caucuses and New Hampshire's Feb. 9 primary election, Nevada is the next state to play a critical role in the nomination process with caucuses on Feb. 20.

In reality, Sanders said, the presidential nomination process kicked off long ago for Republican White House hopefuls last April at a Las Vegas casino. What was dubbed the "Adelson Primary" was staged by billionaire gambling tycoon Sheldon Adelson who welcomed a parade of Republican hopefuls to his posh Las Vegas casino to vie for his financial support.

Adelson and other billionaires have exploited the corrupt campaign finance system ushered in by a Supreme Court ruling in a case known as Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission. That disastrous 5-4 decision in 2010 opened the floodgates for corporations and billionaires like Adelson to spend unlimited sums to bankroll candidates.

Earlier Sunday, Sanders spoke to about 140 supporters at a union hall here with members of the three major national labor organizations which have the endorsed him: the Communications Workers of America, National Nurses United and the American Postal Workers Union.

At another meeting with some 160 seniors and others, Sanders said protecting Social Security is a top priority at a time when more than half of workers nearing retirement have no savings. He also called for reining in runaway prescription drug prices and stopping cuts to Medicare.

The Reno stops were on the first day of a two-day trip to Nevada.

Later this week, Sanders returns to Iowa before heading back to New Hampshire next weekend.