By Mario A. Cortez 
Independent Vermont Senator and Democratic nominee hopeful Bernie Sanders is looking to make a local appearance this weekend. Sanders is looking to spread his message and stance on issues such as wealth inequality, accessible higher education, and racial justice, among other topics, that have earned him a passionate following ahead of next month’s California primary.
On Tuesday night, the City Council of National City approved a request from Sanders’ campaign staff to use Kimball Park for a rally to be held on Saturday. The rally is planned to begin at 7 p.m. but access to the park will be allowed starting at 4:30 p.m. according to the Sanders campaign website.
Sanders recently won the Oregon primary and had a narrow loss against nomination rival Hillary Clinton in the Kentucky primary. The Vermont senator is looking for a win in California to strengthen his support going into the Democratic National Convention.
This will be the second visit Senator Sanders makes to San Diego County while on the campaign trail. On March 22, Sanders held the “A future to Believe In” rally at the Downtown Convention Center where over 11,000 supporters attended to hear his message. Several marches organized by local Sanders supporters were also held prior to the March 22 event throughout Downtown San Diego.
This week Sanders also held a rally in Carson, California on the campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills to raise his support ahead of upcoming primaries.
The California presidential primary will be held on Tuesday, June 7. California’s primary is a semi closed election, meaning that voters looking to vote for a candidate must bear the same party affiliation or have no party preference on their voter registration. The last day to register to vote is May 23.