A potential 2016 contender is visiting Raleigh on Wednesday and getting a boost from the state Democratic Party.Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who aligns with Democrats, will host a town hall forum at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church. The topic: The fight for economic justice. Sanders is not considered a serious contender for the Democratic nomination but his potential candidacy could serve to disrupt a potential bid by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as he pushes progressive issues that would move the party to the ideological left.Sanders trip to North Carolina his second this year to the battleground state precedes trips to Iowa and New Hampshire in September. He also visited South Carolina, another politically important state, this week. That s part of my trying to ascertain the kind of support that exists for a presidential run, Monday.Clinton allies also began the first steps toward organizing in North Carolina this year with several big names including Gov. Bev Perdue and House Democratic leader Larry Hall attending a fundraiser for Ready for Hillary, an independent super PAC supporting her possible bid.Sanders is getting a boost from the state Democratic Party. Executive Director Casey Mann has sent blast emails about the 7 p.m. Wednesday event to its activists and members for the past week. Gina Wright, a party spokeswoman, said Sanders office asked the party if it would send out the information. Often, when out-of-state elected officials visit NC, protocol is that they reach out to the state party, as is the case here, she said.The event is sponsored by Progressive Voters of America, Sanders leadership political action committee, and South Forward, a federal political committee whose executive director is Jay Parmley, the former state party leader who resigned in a cloud of .