Hillary Clinton might want to take a look at this crowd for Bernie Sanders in Wisconsin

Brett T. | 9:51 PM on July 01, 2015

The media might have settled on Hillary Clinton as our next president months or even years ago, but the surprise candidacy of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the socialist Independent running for president as a Democrat, has managed to shake up the race in a big way. Sanders is in deep blue Madison, Wisconsin tonight, speaking at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and the crowd of nearly 10,000 is impressive.

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

Worth noting that the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Madison holds 10,000 people max. Looks like almost every seat is filled tonight.

— Dan Merica (@merica) July 2, 2015

Sanders calls for a political revolution in Madison. pic.twitter.com/L5ZIztpHFH

— Dan Merica (@merica) July 2, 2015

#Bernie2016 #FeelTheBern #Madison pic.twitter.com/NspG5NvZvj

— Diapee (@WhosDevo) July 2, 2015

That sure is a lot of people, but Hillary could just as likely dip into her family foundation/slush fund and fill the seats with cash. Sanders, though, is upping the ante with the promise of lots of free stuff.

Really, really loud cheers in this college town as Bernie Sanders calls for making every public university and college tuition-free.

— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) July 2, 2015

.@SenSanders call for tuition-free college draws one of loudest cheers of the night before crowd of 10,000 in Madison #FeelTheBern

— Scott Bauer (@sbauerAP) July 2, 2015

Bernie Sanders talking about maternity leave for women and men and will fight for 12 weeks of paid leave for births.

— FCILA (@FatChickinLA) July 2, 2015