Sen. Bernie Sanders tries to woo Hispanics in southern New Mexico

Supporters began lining up outside the gates at Vado Elementary before sunrise to see Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Sanders is the only presidential candidate making a stop in southern New Mexico ahead of the June 7 primary election so far. He held rallies in Santa Fe and Albuquerque Friday.

The followers were enthusiastic and carried homemade signs.

“The only BS we want is Bernie Sanders,” read one sign.

And when the Vermont senator showed up after noon, the crowd seemed to forget about the hot southwest sun.

“It’s hot out here,” said Sanders as he put on a yellow cap.

The crowd of 3,420 stood on the grass at Vado Elementary, cheering the candidate as he shared his vision.

“We must have comprehensive immigration reform and a path toward citizenship; and if Congress fails to act, I will use the executive powers of the president to do all I can,” Sanders said as the crowd roared.

Vado, which is less than 30 miles from the US-Mexico border, is heavily Hispanic and 53 percent of its residents live below the poverty line, according to the 2010-2014 American Community Survey. The median household income is $24,197.

However, Sanders drew spectators from beyond Vado. There were a lot of young people enthusiastic about his proposal for free college education.

“People tell me, ‘Bernie, how are you going to get that paid’? Let me tell you… We’re going to impose a tax on Wall Street speculation!” said the candidate.

Sanders is fighting for all the votes and delegates he can get and is heavily courting the Hispanic vote in New Mexico. He has thinned his campaign from 1000 employees to fewer than 400 in recent weeks, and he has $6 million in available cash left compared to Hillary Clinton’s $30 million, according to newly released campaign finance reports covering the month of April. Sanders brought in more money than she did, $27 million to Clinton’s $25 million, but he spent more heavily.

The crowed booed when Sanders mentioned his Democratic opponent.

“Secretary Clinton and I have some very importand differences of opinion. One of those differences is how we raise our money. I am the only candidate that does not have a super PAC, I do not want money from Wall Street or corporate America because we do not represent Wall Street or corporate America, we represent the working families in this country,” he said.

In the end, the math does not favor Sen. Sanders when it comes to votes, either. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the party’s nomination and he trails Clinton by 274 pledged delegates, the ones bound by the states’ primaries and caucuses. He would need hundreds of unpledged delegates, also called “superdelegates” to switch their support away from Clinton during the convention.

Sanders is hoping New Mexico Democrats turn out to vote on June 7 and he can win as many of the state’s 43 delegates, which are allocated proportionally.

“This is an incredibly beautiful state and I want – and I hope – that this incredibly beautiful state will go on record that we need a political revolution,” yelled Sanders to cheers from the crowd.