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Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders appeared Saturday at the Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi, where he urged Democrats to organize around an economic message focused on affordability and income inequality.<\/p>\n
Smiley N. Pool\/Staff Photographer<\/p>\n
CORPUS CHRISTI \u2014\u00a0The Texas Democratic convention<\/a> could have doubled as an early audition for potential 2028 presidential candidates, with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker courting party activists.\u00a0<\/p>\n But the marquee speaker slot Saturday went to Sen. Bernie Sanders<\/a>, a reminder that firing up the party base can also hand Republicans a familiar foil as Democrats try to build a broad coalition they need to win statewide.<\/p>\n Sanders decried President Donald Trump, the ultra-rich and the Republican Party in a speech centered on income inequality and affordability.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cWe are going to hold them accountable for their disastrous policies. These policies have devastated working families in Texas, in Vermont and all over the country,\u201d Sanders said of Republicans.<\/p>\n He repeatedly targeted billionaires, accusing them of putting greed ahead of working families.<\/p>\n “These are not nice guys. They are extremely greedy and ruthless, and will do anything they can to accumulate even more wealth and power,” he said.<\/p>\n Sanders called on activists to organize, educate and “knock on doors,” saying \u201cthe way we defeat them… is when ordinary people get involved in the political process,\u201d adding that \u201cyou are leading us here in Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n For convention organizers, the Vermont independent brought star power and a promise of relief from rising costs and an economy they say favors the wealthy.<\/p>\n Democrats are betting that Sanders’ message will matter more to voters than Republicans’ efforts to make him the story.<\/p>\n Austin state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt<\/a>, the Democratic nominee for state comptroller, said Sanders’ popularity reflects the concerns animating voters, not simply his celebrity.<\/p>\n \u201cRather than looking at the cult of personality, we have to look at the context,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Republicans quickly seized on Sanders’ appearance, using it to reinforce their efforts to brand Texas Democrats as \u201cradical liberals\u201d who want to \u201cCalifornia your Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Gov. Greg Abbott has repeatedly tried to tie Democratic statewide candidates, most notably Senate hopeful James Talarico<\/a>, to nationally known progressives, including Sanders, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n