Sanders to crisscross country in final week before election

by Jordain Carney - 11/01/16 11:11 AM ET

Former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is barnstorming for Democrats across the country heading into the final week of the 2016 election cycle.

Sanders, who attracted thousands at his rallies when running against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries, will campaign in 12 states leading up to Nov. 8, including stops for Clinton, now the party’s nominee, and top Senate candidates, according to a release from his campaign.

{mosads}“I am working as hard as I can to see that Donald Trump is defeated, that Hillary Clinton is elected president and that Democrats gain control of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate,” Sanders said in a statement.

The independent senator from Vermont is expected to kick off his coast-to-coast schedule on Tuesday in New Hampshire for Clinton and Gov. Maggie Hassan, a Democrat locked in a tight race with Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.). He’ll make a separate campaign stop in Maine on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Sanders is expected to campaign in Michigan and Wisconsin, where former Sen. Russ Feingold (D) is in a race that Democrats appeared poised to pick up for months but is increasingly tight.

Sanders is also expected to make stops in Ohio, North Carolina, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Nevada and California heading into Nov. 8.

Sanders has increasingly stumped for Democrats as he tries to fire up the liberal wing of the party, which has voiced skepticism about Clinton. But he’s also warned that he’ll try to leverage his increased clout in the party to hold Clinton accountable on a number of policy issues if she wins the White House.

He added that after the election, “I intend to do everything I can to see that the new president and Congress implement the Democratic platform.”

He’ll discuss some of his top issues during the final week of the campaign, including overturning Citizens United, increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour and closing tax loopholes for wealthier Americans and corporations.

Tags Bernie Sanders Donald Trump Hillary Clinton Kelly Ayotte