Sanders speaks to packed KeyArena: 'Seattle is ready for a political revolution'

SEATTLE -- Thousands showed up at Seattle's KeyArena for a raucous speech by Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders.

"I think Seattle is ready for a political revolution," Sanders said to cheers inside the arena.

Sanders applauded the city's move to incrementally phase in a $15-an-hour minimum wage by 2017 that took effect in April 2015.

"We have to do nationally what Seattle has already done - raise minimum wage to $15 bucks an hour," Sanders said.

Sanders pledged to make it easier for people to vote. He elicited huge roars when addressing a number of issues such as racial justice, his intent to implement universal health care and fight climate change.

"In my view we have a moral responsibility to leave this planet to our children and grandchildren in a way that is healthy and habitable," said.

Lines outside the arena were huge before the event, and according to Seattle officials just over 10,000 people packed KeyArena, while 5,500 people remained outside during Sanders' speech and another 1,500 left when they didn't make it into the stadium.

Sanders addressed the overflow crowd outside before his official remarks. Some in line said they had arrived at around 10:30 a.m. but Bo Jordheim from Covington, who was at the head of the line, arrived at 5 a.m.

"I wanted to be here and get as close as possible to see Bernie as close as possible and support him and his cause," he said.

Sanders' Seattle speech came a few hours after more than 7,500 people turned out to a high school in Vancouver, Washington for a Sanders rally.

The Vermont senator spent the past week in Arizona, and now is taking his campaign to Washington and other West Coast states that he hopes will help him make up ground after a solid delegate lead built up by Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

Clinton has a lead of more than 300 delegates over Sanders from primaries and caucuses following a sweep of five states last Tuesday, so the Pacific Northwest has become important territory for him. Washington state, Alaska and Hawaii hold Democratic caucuses on Saturday, and Washington has the most delegates ultimately at stake with 101.

In a packed Vancovuer gymnasium, Sanders declared the nation's economic, campaign finance and criminal justice systems as being "rigged" and criticized pharmaceutical companies for rising drug costs. He vowed to recalibrate the economic disparities he accused corporate America of creating by raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Washington is reliably Democratic when it comes to presidential elections. It hasn't gone for a Republican candidate since Ronald Reagan in 1984.

The rally was an unprecedented event for Vancouver's 167,000 population, which has been historically overlooked during presidential campaigns.

Clinton campaign volunteers held a phone banking event at a home in Seattle's Mt. Baker neighborhood.

"Kind of our strategy is to get as many delegates as possible. So, every vote counts," said 14-year-old Beatrice Cappio, a volunteer. "Turnout's the real key."

Hillary Clinton and her family will be campaigning across the state this week in advance of the state's caucuses on Saturday.

Former President Bill Clinton will be here Monday to campaign for his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Late Friday, Clinton's campaign announced she would campaign in Seattle and Everett on Tuesday.