Presidential Hopefuls Make Pit Stop in Pasadena

By Terry Miller

By all accounts, last week Pasadena saw a whirlwind of presidential candidates touting their agenda(s) in the Crown City.

Democratic Party candidates in the 2020 U.S. Presidential election hit Pasadena last week, including Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris who hope to be crowned in 2020.

On Friday, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ rally at the Pasadena Convention drew thousands of supporters chanting “Bernie” and an enormous number of vendors outside the Convention Center selling everything imaginable — some of which was related to the Sanders campaign, although nothing “official.”

– Pasadena Vice Mayor Tyron Hampton with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. – Courtesy photo

The Pasadena Hilton was the scene for an immigration forum with presidential candidates California Senator Kamala Harris, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, Washington Governor Jay Inslee and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

Prior to the forum, scores of reporters and photographers waited patiently for a brief Kamala Harris press conference.

When she finally arrived at the podium, Harris said “Oh, how lovely, this looks like a beautiful bouquet of flowers.” The senator was referring to the large display of microphones from networks adoring her podium.

Harris took a few questions related to her stand on immigration and then headed off to the forum where she was greeted by about 500 people who clearly were on her side.

The four Democratic contenders fielded questions from the moderators, Dorian Warren and Angelica Salas, and more than 500 members of at the Immigrant Unity and Freedom Presidential Forum of 2019.

Each candidate had about 45 minutes on stage.