Bernie Sanders | |
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United States Senator from Vermont | |
Assumed office January 3, 2007 Serving with Peter Welch | |
Preceded by | Jim Jeffords |
Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee | |
Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
Preceded by | Patty Murray |
Chair of the Senate Budget Committee | |
In office February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023 | |
Preceded by | Mike Enzi |
Succeeded by | Sheldon Whitehouse |
Chair of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee | |
In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2015 | |
Preceded by | Patty Murray |
Succeeded by | Johnny Isakson |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Vermont's at-large district | |
In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2007 | |
Preceded by | Peter Plympton Smith |
Succeeded by | Peter Welch |
37th Mayor of Burlington | |
In office April 6, 1981 – April 4, 1989 | |
Preceded by | Gordon Paquette |
Succeeded by | Peter Clavelle |
Personal details | |
Born | Bernard Sanders September 8, 1941 New York City, U.S. |
Political party |
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Other political affiliations | Vermont Progressive[c] (1981–present) |
Spouse(s) |
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Children | 4; including 3 step-children |
Relatives | Larry Sanders (brother) |
Education | Brooklyn College University of Chicago (BA) |
Occupation |
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Signature | |
Website |
Bernard "Bernie" Sanders (born September 8, 1941) is an American politician. He is the senior United States Senator from Vermont. He is an Independent, but often votes with the Democratic Party in the Senate.[1][2] He became senator on January 3, 2007.[3] He is often seen as a leader of the progressivism movement in the United States.
Sanders was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 1964. While a student, he was active in organizing protests for civil rights.[4] In 1963, he took part in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech.[4]
Sanders was elected mayor of Burlington, Vermont in 1981.[5] He was re-elected three times. In 1991, he became a United States representative for Vermont's at-large congressional district.[6] He was a congressman for 16 years. In 2006, he was elected to the U.S. Senate after he won 64.5% of the vote. In 2012, he was re-elected by winning almost 71% of the vote. In 2018, he was re-elected by winning nearly 68% of the vote and in 2024, he won with 63%.
Sanders calls himself a democratic socialist.[6][7] He thinks that a social democratic government for the United States is a good idea.[8][9] Sanders is against income inequality and supports universal health care, parental leave and LGBT rights.[6] He is against racial inequality and mass surveillance.[10] In January 2015, Sanders became a member of the Senate Budget Committee.[11][12] Sanders has been seen as the most popular senator in the country by multiple yearly polls.[13][14][15]
On April 30, 2015, Sanders became a candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2016 United States presidential election. He made the announcement in a speech on the Capitol lawn.[10][16] His campaign started on May 26 in Burlington.[17] Unlike some of the other presidential candidates, Sanders did not want Super PACS to give him money. People give him money on his website.[18][19][20] He won 22 primaries and caucuses in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He won about 45% of pledged delegates to Hillary Clinton's 55%. On July 12, 2016, he formally endorsed Clinton due to DNC policies, but did not end his own presidential campaign.[21] On July 26, 2016, during a roll-call vote at the 2016 Democratic National Convention Sanders lost the nomination to Clinton.[22]
After his presidential campaign ended, he started an organization, Our Revolution. Its goal is to "recruit and support candidates for local, state, and national office". He has also announced the upcoming creation of The Sanders Institute, which will spread his political ideas through documentary movies and other media.[23] In February 2017, Sanders began webcasting The Bernie Sanders Show on Facebook.[24]
On February 19, 2019, Sanders announced a second presidential campaign for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 presidential election.[25] His 2020 campaign had raised over four million in donations from individual donors, the largest than any other presidential candidate in history.[26] In early 2020, Sanders was seen as the front-runner for the nomination after winning the first three primary contests and leading in national polling numbers,[27][28][29][30] but after Joe Biden won most of the Super Tuesday contests in March the primary became more competitive.[31] After failing to win many primary states, Sanders ended his campaign on April 8, 2020, later supporting Biden's campaign for President.[3][32]
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