RENO, Nev. (AP) — Sen. Bernie Sanders says many of the campaign themes his critics dismissed as too radical when he ran for president in 2016 are now viewed as much more mainstream.
The Vermont Democrat told a crowd of about 500 at an outdoor rally in downtown Reno Wednesday that many said he was living in a dream world when he campaigned four years ago for "Medicare for All" and a minimum wage of $15 per hour.
Since then, he said seven states have adopted that minimum wage and the U.S. House will vote in the coming months on a proposal to make it the national standard.
Sanders said many states also have embraced his call to "end the so-called war on drugs" and legalize recreational use of marijuana.
He said polls show more and more people support the plan for a national, single-payer health care program that he campaigned for when he lost the 2016 Democratic nomination to Hillary Clinton.