Against the backdrop of St. Mary’s Park in the country’s poorest congressional district, Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders kicked off his New York campaign tour in the Bronx before New York’s April primary, telling a roaring crowd, “we are going to invest in the South Bronx.”

SEE PICTURES: Bernie in the Bronx

It was one of a few times Sanders directly mentioned the Bronx, an area largely impoverished with severe health and income disparities. His opponent, former Secretary of State and U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, made an appearance at the Apollo Theater in Harlem the day before.

His appearance marked one of the few moments Bronx residents had seen a presidential candidate visit the borough, the last being in 1992 when Mrs. Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, made a campaign stop in Co-Op City. Days before Sanders’ visit, Twitter was abuzz with hashtags that read, #BernieintheBronx, and #BronxisBerning paired with already established mottos of #FeeltheBern.

“What this campaign is about is creating a political revolution,” Sanders said, appearing before the audience as dusk began to settle on March 31. “And the 15,000 that are here this evening you are the heart and soul of this revolution.”

Standing at a podium, in front of clearing that extended to the park’s grassy hilltop, Sanders reemphasized many of his talking points outlined at other rallies across the country. Espousing a progressive agenda, Sanders argued America’s wealthiest should contribute more to funding college tuition, scolded militarized police organizations, and demanded the country’s minimum wage should increase to $15 an hour.

His message on free college tuition resonated with Jade Rodriguez, 18, of Longwood. A senior at Bronx Studio for Writers and Artists, Rodriguez praised Sanders’ position, which compelled her to register to vote and wait on line to get into the park and hear Sanders speak. “Other candidates are not good enough to be president,” she said.

Another first-time voter, Brittney Vargas, 18, commended Sanders’ stop to the Bronx, pegging him as a fighter of the people. “Bernie just stands out to me,” said Vargas, wearing a pin button where one half bore the New York Yankees logo and a message reading “Wins in October.” The other half showed the Sanders’ face and a message reading “Wins in November.”

For the Bronx, national campaign rallies are few and far between. The borough is considered safe territory for Democrats, given the sheer number of registered Democrats over Republicans in the Bronx. Sanders’ appearance in the borough aligned with his overall goal of equalizing the playing field, a position strongly backed by residents of the South Bronx.

“It’s a testament to what [Sanders] really stands for,” said Vargas. “Because so many people are afraid to speak in areas this poor because they’ll come to New York, but they’ll go to the Javits Center and Hell’s Kitchen, but they don’t come to the real hell down here. It’s okay. It’s my home, I love it.”

For many residents in the area, considered marginalized, Sanders’ arrival to the Bronx underscored what they see as a presidential candidate for the people, attuned to the needs of low-income Americans. “He sees us [the people] from our eyes,” said Rodriguez.

Ephraim Cruz, a former police officer in the Bronx, considered Sanders “way ahead of his time.” “We have a candidate who has a consistency with his constituency, with his positions. He has a trust factor that Hillary [Clinton] can’t seem to garner,” said Cruz.

Those loyalties extend to the borough’s political establishment, where politicos all announced their support for Clinton except state Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda of Soundview and Parkchester. Sepulveda stands as the only legislator in New York State backing the U.S. Senator from Vermont.

“Decisions of this nature are not based on political expediency, it’s based on what I think is best for the people that I represent, for this country,” Sepulveda told the Norwood News a day after appearing at the rally. “If it costs me anything politically, it costs me something politically. But I don’t make decisions on that.”

Sepulveda has made decisions that went against the grain. During the 2013 mayoral campaign, Sepulveda had endorsed Bill de Blasio, who went on to become mayor.

Sepulveda also disputed a published report stating the Bronx Democratic County Committee (BDCC) had attempted to twist his arm into endorsing Clinton. “Neither the chairman of the party nor people who I consider party establishment tried to force me, or strong-arm, into endorsing Hillary,” said Sepulveda.

It also brought many who had little reason to come to the Bronx.  While a group came as far as Germany, others came from across the Hudson River. Among them was Jennifer Rivero, 18, who drove to the Bronx from her home in Paterson, New Jersey, with her sister Estephanie.

“If [Sanders] loses, I’m going to cry,” said Rivero, who convinced her sister to back Sanders.

The sisters will have to wait until June 7 to cast a ballot for the presidential primaries. New York’s are held April 19.

Additional reporting by Matt Surrusco.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.