Today, many were surprised to read in their news that Bernie Sanders not only is exceeding expectations insofar as public interest, but that he has managed to raise a total of $15 million in two months, all in donations averaging just north of $33.

Sanders is consistently filling up events- to the point where he’s had to change to larger venues in order to accommodate the demand.

In polling, Sanders is in a statistical tie with his main opponent, Hillary Clinton. The Guardian reports:

Bernie Sanders has more than halved the gap with Hillary Clinton in the early-voting state of Iowa, according to a new poll which shows the leftwing insurgent building on his recent record-breaking public appearances with growing support among key Democratic voters.

The latest survey in Iowa, carried out by Quinnipiac University, shows him trailing her by 33 to 52 percentage points among likely Democratic participants in the state caucuses on 1 February.

This compares with Clinton’s 60-15 point lead, more than twice as large, in thelast Quinnipiac poll on 7 May and the latest CNN poll from the other key early-voting state of New Hampshire showing Clinton only eight points ahead of Sanders.

While this is no guarantee that he will sustain this trend all the way through the primary, this does go to cancel out what naysayers have been predicting, that Bernie’s Socialist Democrat affiliation will work against him within his base, as well as vis-a-vis his opponents in the other party.

When it comes to arguing his position, Bernie is one of the very best:

“Let me just say a few words to my friends in the Republican Party about extremism. When you deny the right of workers to come together in collective bargaining that’s extremism. When you tell a woman that she can not control her own body, that’s extremism. When you think a woman is a child and can’t purchase a contraceptive, that is extremism. When you give tax breaks to billionaires and refuse to raise the minimum wage, that’s extremism.”

Bernie Sanders

Sanders draws massive crowd in Wisconsin | TheHill
By Elliot Smilowitz

Some in attendance took to social media to share images from the event:

Fittingly, the only empty seats at this #BernieSanders rally are the luxury boxes. #Bernie2016 #FeelTheBern pic.twitter.com/e0QJhIbLHN

— Wistanbul Wisconstantinople (@wi_defender) July 2, 2015

With Bernie Sanders about to come on in Madison, the arena is more or less full. pic.twitter.com/TXMV7Agtfz

— Dan Merica (@merica) July 2, 2015

The coliseum is packed and people still trying to get in. Who's an underdog again? #FeelTheBern #HillaryWho pic.twitter.com/7kdUYyk0a7

— Elizabeth (@justlikeliz) July 2, 2015

HUGE crowd waiting for #BernieSanders in #Madison @erictheteamster @JahNahNah @danmericaCNN #Bernie2016 #FeelTheBern pic.twitter.com/4AZ0r0L9c2

— Josh Nelson (@josh_nelson) July 2, 2015

Read the rest of this article: Sanders draws massive crowd in Wisconsin on TheHill.com