NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) – Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders addressed a crowd of thousands on a packed New Haven green to talk about why Tuesday’s primary voters should support him.

“We are talking and fighting for issues that the establishment would prefer to sweep right under the rug,” said Sanders.

The Senator from Vermont discussed a wide range of topics that included his plans to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour, the need, in his view, to have free public college education, and he also called for a ban on fracking. He even took a jab at fellow Democrat and Governor of the state of Connecticut, Dannel Malloy, for recent fiscal cuts he’s made.

“I’m not quite sure why your governor has cut mental health treatment in the state of Connecticut,” said Sanders. “We need to expand that treatment, not cut.”

Those who attended walked away with differing views.

“I thought it was incredibly moving,” said Adam Nevin of Wallingford.

“I support all of his ideas,” said David Hao of New Haven. “I just wish people would unify around whoever in the end gets to be chosen.”

New Haven’s Director of Emergency Operations tells News 8 the crowd on the New Haven Green was measured at 9,000. There were thousands more on the green’s peripheral.

Before the rally we spoke to Senator Sanders one on one at the New Haven Free Public Library downtown. When we asked Sanders, what he thought Connecticut could do tel help retain jobs from companies overseas and other states he told us;

“The president deals with 50 states and one of the dumb things that is going on in this country is just seeing this state competing with that state, giving more tax breaks to a large corporation, and that corporation laughs all the way to the bank while the taxpayers in that given state have to pick up the burden,” said Sanders.

News 8 also asked Sanders if he could tell us one thing that he liked about GOP front-runner, Donald Trump. His answer;

“I really like that hairdoo of his,” said Sanders.

Sanders will hold another rally in Connecticut on Monday. It will be held at the riverfront amphitheater in Hartford. People will be allowed in starting at 7:00am.