In what political observers are calling a remarkable display of progressive energy, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have been drawing massive crowds during their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour across western states this March.
The rallies have shattered attendance records and generated significant buzz online, suggesting a potential resurgence of progressive enthusiasm as the country looks toward the 2026 midterm elections.
The tour reached its apex on March 21 in Denver, Colorado, where an estimated 34,000 people filled Civic Center Park—making it the largest rally either politician has ever held. Sanders himself acknowledged the milestone, telling the crowd, “In the hundreds of rallies that I have done, we have never, ever had a rally as large as this.”
This Denver gathering followed another record-breaking event in Tempe, Arizona just a day earlier, where approximately 15,000 people packed Arizona State University’s Mullett Arena. According to Anna Bahr, Sanders’ communications director, this turnout eclipsed the senator’s previous Arizona record of 11,300 attendees from his 2016 presidential campaign. An additional 1,000 supporters were reportedly turned away due to capacity limitations, while over 123,000 people watched the livestream online.
Earlier on March 21, the duo also held a rally in Greeley, Colorado that drew more than 11,000 people to the Bank of Colorado Arena on the University of Northern Colorado campus.
The Message: Fighting “Oligarchy”
The tour’s central theme focuses on what Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez describe as America’s drift toward oligarchy—rule by a wealthy few. Their speeches have targeted both the Trump administration and what they characterize as an insufficiently combative Democratic establishment.
“We are witnessing an oligarchy in America,” Ocasio-Cortez told the Arizona crowd. “When those with the most economic, political and technological power destroy the public good in order to enrich themselves at the price of millions of Americans.”
Sanders has been particularly vocal about billionaire Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration through the Department of Government Efficiency, which aims to slash federal spending. “The American people are saying loud and clear, we will not accept an oligarchic form of society,” Sanders declared in Denver. “We will not accept the richest guy in the world running all over Washington, making cuts to the Social Security Administration, cuts to the Veterans Administration, almost destroying the Department of Education—all so that they could give over a trillion dollars in tax breaks to the wealthiest 1%.”
The rallies have featured not just criticism of Republicans but also challenges to Democratic leadership. At the Denver event, the crowd erupted in cheers when Jimmy Williams, president of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, delivered a blunt message to the Democratic Party: “Get off your ass.”
Strategic Targeting
What makes this tour particularly notable is its strategic focus. Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have deliberately targeted areas represented by Republicans but with margins close enough to potentially swing toward Democrats in future elections. Their stop in Greeley, Colorado, for instance, falls within Republican Rep. Gabe Evans’ district, who narrowly defeated Democrat Yadira Caraveo in the November election.
Evans responded to the rally with criticism of the progressive duo’s policies, particularly their stance on the oil and gas industry, stating that his “common-sense approach stands in stark contrast to AOC and Bernie Sanders’ extreme anti-oil-and-gas rhetoric.”
A New Progressive Moment?
Political analysts are debating whether these massive turnouts signal a broader political shift or merely reflect the enduring popularity of two of the left’s most recognizable figures.
Eric Blanc, an assistant professor at Rutgers University’s School of Management and Labor Relations, noted on social media that it’s “pretty remarkable how AOC and Bernie have become leaders not just of lefties, but of the Democratic Party’s mainstream liberal base.”
Journalist David Weigel, who attended both Colorado rallies, observed that at the Greeley event, it wasn’t easy to find people in the crowd who had voted for Sanders in the 2020 presidential primary. Sanders’ team reportedly told Weigel that half of the RSVPs to the rallies were not from the lawmaker’s existing supporter list—suggesting they’re reaching beyond their traditional base.
The tour continues with upcoming stops planned in Tucson and other cities across the country. Whether this enthusiasm translates into electoral gains remains to be seen, but the sheer size of these gatherings has undeniably captured attention across the political spectrum.
As Ocasio-Cortez told the Denver crowd: “Something special is happening… Working people are ready to stand together and fight for our democracy.”