What to know about the Bernie Sanders 'working class power' tour of Wisconsin

Former presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders plans to hold “Building Working Class Power” campaign rallies and town halls throughout Wisconsin this week, with stops in Mount Pleasant, Sheboygan, Kaukauna, Stevens Point, Eau Claire and La Crosse.

Here’s what to know.

Where will Bernie Sanders stop in Wisconsin?

Sanders, the Vermont independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, plans to hit Mount Pleasant on Wednesday, Sheboygan and Kaukauna on Thursday before heading west toward Stevens Point and Eau Claire on Friday and La Crosse on Saturday. Here are the exact times of the events:

Wednesday, June 26 

Mount Pleasant: 6 p.m. Rally Location: UAW Local 180, 3323 Kearney Ave, Mt Pleasant, WI 53403 Thursday, June 27

Sheboygan: 11:30 a.m. Town Hall Location: Emil Mazey Hall at UAW Local 833, 5425 Superior Ave, Sheboygan, WI 53083 Kaukauna: 5 p.m. Rally Location: Plumbers & Steamfitters UA Local 400, 2700 Northridge Dr., Kaukauna, WI 54130Friday, June 28Stevens Point: 1 p.m. Town Hall Location: Pfiffner Pioneer Park Bandshell, 1100 Crosby Ave, Stevens Point, WI 54481

The Portage County Democrats, the Wisconsin Democratic Seniors Council and the WisDems Rural Caucus will be in attendance.

Eau Claire: 6 p.m. RallyLocation: Chippewa Valley Technical College-Eau Claire Clairemont CampusBusiness Education Center, Casper Conference Room, 620 W Clairemont Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701

Saturday, June 29La Crosse: 11:30 a.m. RallyLocation: UW-La Crosse Student Union, The Bluffs Room, 521 East Avenue N, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601

All of the events are free and open to the public on a first come first served basis, though the Sanders campaign recommends people RSVP. Doors open an hour early for every event besides the one in Sheboygan, when they will open 30 minutes prior to start.

Are the events organized with the Biden-Harris campaign?

No. Sanders, who vied for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020, has backed President Joe Biden's re-election bid. But the events next week were planned independently of the Biden-Harris campaign’s ground effort centered around the first debate of the 2024 presidential election cycle.

The “massive mobilization effort” includes deploying Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore throughout four events across the state and nearly 300 canvassing launches during the weekend following the debate. Warren and state Democrats ​​leaned into the anniversary of the Dobbs abortion decision to mobilize Wisconsin voters on Monday and Tuesday, with Warren holding events in Milwaukee, Madison, Eau Claire and Hudson.

What can attendees expect at the events?

A release announcing Sanders’ visit said the events are “focused on building the power of the working class, the need to fight against billionaire and corporate interests and what is at stake in this year’s elections.”

Sanders is the longest-serving independent in congressional history, having previously served as a U.S. representative for 16 years before he won a Senate seat in 2007.

The progressive politician has sometimes been at odds with Democrats but has argued they will win victories if they stand with the country’s working class.

In a September event in Madison, he said: "One of the weaknesses of the Democratic Party has been not only that they have not done enough for the working class of this country, is they refuse to acknowledge the reality and the pain that tens of millions of people are living through right now."

The campaign also advertised free food and live musical performances by Tim Kinsella, Walt Hamburger and Carriage House.

What Wisconsin Republicans say about Bernie Sanders' visit

Wisconsin Republicans criticized Sanders’ visit.

“With high costs continuing to plague the economy, the last person Wisconsinites want to hear from is tax and spend socialist Bernie Sanders,” WisGOP Spokesperson Matt Fisher said in a statement. “His presence in Wisconsin's 1st district is a reminder to voters that he and Peter Barca have nothing to offer except higher taxes and more inflation,” he said.

Sanders’ announcement did not mention Peter Barca, the former Democratic congressman and state Assembly leader challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, who has represented the southeastern corner of Wisconsin in Congress since 2019.  Mount Pleasant, Sanders' first stop, is within that district

The Sanders team did not respond to an email inquiry about whether the event was tied to Barca’s race.

When did Sanders last visit Wisconsin?

Sanders last visited Wisconsin in September to highlight his book "It's OK to Be Angry About Capitalism" with co-author John Nichols at the Cap Times Idea Fest on the University of Wisconsin’s campus.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about Bernie Sanders' Wisconsin rallies and town halls