By PAUL J. WEBER and MICHAEL R. BLOOD
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) - Democratic presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders are taking a pause from the usual early voting states and charging onto the home turf of their 2020 rivals.

Harris on Saturday chose a black university in Houston to call for significant investment in teacher pay, marking the first policy proposal of her 2020 campaign.

The California senator visited Beto O'Rourke's backyard less than two weeks after the former Texas congressman jumped in the crowded Democratic field. Meanwhile, Sanders was in Los Angeles while continuing a campaign swing through Harris' home state of California.

Both trips are a test of early strength in the race. Sanders made a notable, second-place finish in California's 2016 presidential primary.

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