March 24--I'm Christina Bellantoni, and get ready for a whole lot of Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The Vermont senator was in Los Angeles on Tuesday, stopping by our newsroom and rallying with several thousand fans -- and Rosario Dawson -- at a theater in Koreatown as he made clear California is his focus.
"You're going to see me here more than you feel comfortable with," Sanders told me during an interview with The Times editorial board when I asked how he intends to forge a path here.
He wasn't shy in acknowledging he faces a challenge, but wouldn't cede an inch on Hillary Clinton's lead with superdelegates, saying his grassroots support can help him win the nomination -- admittedly a narrow chance.
I also asked him about the May Day rally his supporters are organizing in Los Angeles that we wrote about last month. Citing the high cost of buying television ads in California, Sanders said instead he is counting on a ground game of liberal organizations -- including the labor and environmental movements -- to help him continue to attract large crowds and, he hopes, generate momentum.
Sanders -- who brought along a stack of poll numbers scribbled on a piece of paper showing he fares better against Donald Trump in a general election because he wins independents -- said his campaign has "the excitement," "the energy" and "the nontraditional voters."
He pointedly said, "I'm no Barack Obama," but noted he has attracted many new voters this election season.
Sanders sat down with our team for 50-minute meeting. I turned the questions about his electoral prospects into a podcast.
After the meeting, Annie Yu on our engagement team taught Sanders how to do a selfie Snapchat, and got his take on who would win in the Batman vs. Superman fight.
We covered the rally live, showcasing supporters who had waited for hours to get in and telling their stories on video.
Kurtis Lee evaluated how important the large crowds are to Team Sanders.
Cathleen Decker used the day's events as a springboard to examine the difficult road ahead for Sanders in California.
CLINTON'S TURN
Today is Clinton's day in L.A. She hosts two fundraisers we told you about last week, one at the Avalon Hollywood alongside performing artists Ben Harper, Estelle and Russell Simmons, who is emcee. Clinton also sits down with Jimmy Kimmel.
As Sanders was storming Southern California on Wednesday, Clinton was in the Bay Area, speaking about counter-terrorism at Stanford University. She kept up a theme we've been noticing more lately, turning her focus to Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz.
Decker found that terrorism has collided with the campaign in recent days.
As the day's events unfold, keep an eye on Trail Guide and follow @latimespolitics.
SIZING UP CALIFORNIA VOTERS
A new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California shows the Senate race is fluid, with Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris holding a narrow lead over Rep. Loretta Sanchez and plenty of voters undecided.
And with Republican California voters, Trump sits atop the pack.
For more on California politics, we're tracking what's happening around the state on our Essential Politics news feed.
TODAY'S ESSENTIALS
-- David Lauter listened in on a Republican voter focus group, which considered Trump as a reality TV character.
-- Lisa Mascaro identifies the senators who could lose this November.
-- Assemblyman David Hadley of Torrance is the latest GOP lawmaker to take aim at high-speed rail. He's introduced a bill that would redirect money from the program toward local transit projects.
-- A proposal by Senate leader Kevin de LeD-Los Angeles) to provide up to $250 million in financial guarantees as part of Los Angeles' bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics drew strong opposition from Republicans.
-- The Festival of Books is coming up. Here are details on the program, which will include panels featuring Team Politics.
LOGISTICS
Miss yesterday's newsletter? Here you go. Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox daily. And keep an eye on our politics page throughout the day for the latest and greatest. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics?
Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com.
