At NY's capital, candidates converge

ALBANY -- Around noon Monday, a bus for John Kasich's campaign rode past a long line of Bernie Sanders' supporters waiting to hear Sanders' 2 p.m. speech.

Kasich got out of the bus a block away, huddled privately with Republican leaders in New York, then gave speeches in nearby Troy and Saratoga. Sanders gave an hour-long speech in Albany, sandwiched between events in Binghamton and Buffalo.

And that was not all in New York's capital city on Monday: GOP front-runner Donald Trump drew an energetic crowd of about 15,000 to the Times Union Center, where he continued his criticism of a nomination process he says is "rigged."

It all made Albany the epicenter of presidential politics Monday, eight days before New York voters cast their primary ballots April 19 in the delegate-rich state.

"I used to come up to Albany so many times -- I need this approval, I need that," Trump told the crowd as he introduced state senators. "Now I'm on their side. I can't believe it, I'm a politician!"

The Albany visits are part of barnstorming tours by the candidates that started last week. Hillary Clinton visited the upstate cities last week and is planning more trips this week.

Trump was in Rochester on Sunday and Albany on Monday. On Tuesday, Sanders will be in Rochester, Syracuse and Poughkeepsie.

"If we make it to the White House, we are going to change our national priorities," Sanders said to cheers from the roughly 3,700 people inside the city's Washington Avenue Armory. "We’re going to rebuild inner cities, we’re going to make sure that every community in this country has clean drinking water, and we will rebuild our roads and bridges and rail system."

Kasich said he's not to be overlooked, urging Republican leaders that he's the best chance in New York for their down-ballot races in November. His event in Saratoga was to be aired on Fox News.

In Troy, Kasich took audience questions about Social Security, health care and same-sex marriage, highlighting his blue-collar roots and work in Ohio and in Congress.

He pledged to make it to the GOP convention in July. About 400 people attended the town-hall event in Troy.

“You folks have given me everything today, just being here, being with all of you," Kasich said. "I think we’re going to go to a convention. I think when we get to it, I really am going to need to have your support.”

The candidates are vowing to turn around a struggling upstate economy and hoping to win some of New York's delegates at stake: There are 291 Democratic delegates and 95 Republican ones.

Polls have shown Trump with a large lead in New York against Kasich and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who visited the Albany area last week and expects to continue his New York tour this week.

But Kasich and Cruz are looking to pick up delegates to close the gap against Trump, the Manhattan billionaire. Most of the state's delegates are awarded to the winners of individual congressional districts.

Trump's speech at the downtown Albany arena Monday touched on the major themes of his campaign, including his support for a major wall at the Mexican border, while decrying the loss of manufacturing jobs in upstate New York. He blasted the GOP's delegate-based nominating process, pointing to his large lead in the total number of votes cast.

He spoke dismissively of several of his opponents, including Cruz ("He's not Robin Hood, he's just a bad guy") and Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton ("Everybody knows that she is guilty as hell"), and called for a bolstered military.

"We're going to start winning big -- and winning big-league," Trump said. "We're going to win with our military. We're going to build it bigger and stronger than ever before, and we're going to knock the hell out of ISIS."

Trump said there were about 20,000 people at the rally, but the arena's capacity is only 17,500 and a few upper sections were largely empty.

In Troy, Kasich was asked by a transgender woman if he opposes “conversion therapy” for LGBT youths.

"I’m not in favor of discrimination, period, end of story," the Ohio governor responded. "Secondly, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay marriage. I’m a traditional marriage guy, OK, but the court ruled. I’m allowing the court ruling to stand, I’m not looking for some constitution amendment, it’s done.”

On the Democratic side, Clinton held a narrowing lead against Sanders, polls showed. A Monmouth University poll Monday showed Clinton, the former New York senator, with a 12 percentage-point lead over the Vermont senator, compared to a Siena College poll in early March that showed her with a a 21-point lead over Sanders.

Sanders said he believes his campaign can block Clinton from winning the 2,383 delegates needed for nomination at the convention. He's hoping to pull an upset in New York or at least get a sizable portion of the New York delegates at stake. In New York, the delegates are won by congressional district, so it's not a winner-take-all state.

He knocked Clinton for her position on hydraulic fracturing as he called for a national ban and released an anti-fracking ad. Clinton has said she supports New York's ban -- which Sanders also hailed -- but said the decision should be left with the states.

"The reason this campaign is doing as well as it is is because we have the guts to be honest with the American people and tell the truth," Sanders said in Albany.

Clinton's delegate lead is 1,756 to 1,068, according to the Associated Press.

Liam Bancroft, 30, of Albany, said he's energized by Sanders' campaign. Some attendees said they drove hours and arrived early Monday morning for Sanders' speech.

"This is the first time I’ve been this active in any election cycle," Bancroft said. "I’ve gotten out, knocked on doors and on social media to spread a positive message."

Frank Cloutier, 55, who grew up in Troy and has also lived in Ohio, said he has voted for Kasich for Senate and governor.

"This is the first time I've been to a political event, to be honest with you, but because of the primaries and the brokered convention and everything along those lines, it's very, very interesting this year to say the least," Cloutier said.

Includes reporting by Albany Bureau staff writer Nick Muscavage.