Bernie Sanders schedules campaign stop Monday in Tacoma

Sen. Bernie Sanders, a front-runner for the Democratic nomination for president, will appear at a campaign rally Monday in Tacoma, his campaign announced Thursday.

Sanders, who visited Spokane twice in the run-up to the Democratic National Convention in 2016, will appear alongside Rep. Pramila Jayapal at the Tacoma Dome. Jayapal, a former civil rights activist in Seattle, endorsed Sanders last month and is scheduled to appear at a campaign event for Sanders on Saturday. Jayapal is also helping craft health policy for Sanders’ campaign.

Carin Chase, director of the Sanders campaign in Washington state, said she was aware of several groups making bus trips from Spokane to attend the rally. It’s open to the public, and doors open at 5 p.m. at the venue about an hour south of downtown Seattle. The event will begin at 7 p.m.

Chase said she was not aware of any planned events for Sanders in Eastern Washington.

The visit by Sanders follows an August stop by candidate Elizabeth Warren for a rally in Seattle.

Sanders finished a close second in delegates earned at the Iowa caucuses to Pete Buttigieg, though Sanders had a greater share of the popular vote in those contests, which were marred by technical difficulties and late returns.

Sanders finished in first in the New Hampshire primary held Tuesday, but both he and Buttigieg picked up nine delegates toward the 1,991 needed to secure the nomination.

Ballots will be mailed in the Washington presidential primary next week, with results scheduled to be tabulated March 10. In that contest, 107 delegates are up for grabs. Thirteen Democratic candidates will appear on the ballot, which will mark the first time the party selects who will receive delegates exclusively by a primary vote.

President Donald Trump is the only Republican who will appear on the ballot.