U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders to support Rep. Ilhan Omar in Minnesota visit this week

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders is returning to Minnesota this week with a town hall in Mankato and a rally in Minneapolis.

The Vermont senator is one of the most high-profile national politicians to visit the state in recent months. An independent, Sanders made multiple Minnesota stops in 2016 and 2020 when he ran for president as a Democrat.

His visit comes a week after a rally by former President Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance at St. Cloud State University.

The town hall at Minnesota State University, Mankato on Friday is “focused on organizing and energizing working-class voters around an aggressive progressive agenda,” according to a news release. Doors open at 5 p.m. at Ostrander Auditorium at the Centennial Student Union.

Sanders will also join a get-out-the-vote rally at Edison High School in Minneapolis on Saturday in support of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar ahead of her Aug. 13 primary race, the Omar campaign said in a statement.

Omar is a key ally of Sanders, who has supported her since her first congressional bid in 2019. Omar is in a rematch with Don Samuels in the DFL primary race for her district that covers Minneapolis and neighboring suburbs. She defeated Samuels in 2022 by 2 percentage points.

Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith will also be at Saturday’s event.