California voters still feeling the Bern

Bernie Sanders is heading into California's primary on Tuesday as the clear favourite among Democrats, enjoying a massive lead over his competitors, notably among young voters and Latinos.

A win in the liberal stronghold that has 415 delegates -- the largest number of any state -- would give the 78-year-old Vermont senator a formidable advantage in the overall race for the Democratic nomination.

Political observers say his appeal in California has only grown since the last presidential election, in large part because he has not wavered on his signature issues, including health care, income inequality and student debt.

He has also aggressively courted Latino voters, who make up about a quarter of the estimated electorate for the California primary.

"Sanders has really focused on engaging the Latino electorate by meeting them where they are, hiring locally and opening field and campaign offices in Latino communities," said Sonja Diaz, founding director of the Latino Policy and Politics Initiative at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

"It's pretty clear in terms of his campaign tactics that Latinos are critical to his campaign's success." Sanders, the oldest candidate in the race, also owes much of his success in California to young voters hungry for change.

"A lot of my peers feel like Bernie speaks to young people's issues and is really authentic," said Alex Brandolino, 21, a student and vice president of UCLA's chapter of the California Young Democrats.

"We are a generation that feels like there's these huge challenges like climate change, health care and student debt, and we need change now to address these issues."
"He's never changed. Everything he says now, he's been saying for years and years and years," said Ed Shaiman, 71, a retired teacher. "And I believe he cares about people."
"I just hope that the Democratic Party will rally around Bernie if he is the Democratic nominee," Pedroza said. "Because I think Trump is a horrible human being, and that reflects badly on us as a society, as a country."
"This generation does not vote in the kinds of numbers that we need," he told a roaring crowd. "Today I am here to ask you, to beg of you, let us reach out to people all across the state, all across this country... tell them that we need them at our side in the political struggle for justice."