Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, aged 82, announces his bid for a fourth term in the U.S. Senate, expressing concerns about American democracy and advocating for progressive priorities. Sanders criticizes Israel's actions in Gaza and emphasizes the need for government that works for all. He is the longest-serving independent in U.S. history and is expected to secure reelection in Vermont, having played a significant role in shaping progressive politics and influencing the Democratic Party towards a more leftward direction.
Bernard Sanders (born September 8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the senior United States senator from Vermont. Sanders is the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history but has a close relationship with the Democratic Party, having caucused with House and Senate Democrats for most of his congressional career and sought the party's presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020, coming second in both campaigns. He is often seen as a leader of the U.S. progressive movement.Born into a working-class Jewish family and raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Sanders attended Brooklyn College before graduating from the University of Chicago in 1964. While a student, he was a protest organizer for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) during the civil rights movement. After settling in Vermont in 1968, he ran unsuccessful third-party political campaigns in the early to mid-1970s. He was elected mayor of Burlington in 1981 as an independent and was reelected three times. He won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1990, representing Vermont's at-large congressional district, later co-founding the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He was a U.S. representative for 16 years before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006, notably becoming the first non-Republican elected to the seat in 152 years. Sanders was reelected to the Senate in 2012 and 2018. He chaired the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee from 2013 to 2015 and the Senate Budget Committee from 2021 to 2023. In January 2023, he became chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and the senior senator and dean of the Vermont congressional delegation upon Patrick Leahy's retirement from the Senate.Sanders was a major candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020, receiving the second most votes in each. Despite initially low expectations, his 2016 campaign generated significant grassroots enthusiasm and funding from small-dollar donors, carrying him to victory against eventual nominee Hillary Clinton in 23 primaries and caucuses before he conceded in July. In 2020, his strong showing in early primaries and caucuses made him the front-runner in a historically large field of Democratic candidates. In April 2020, Sanders conceded the nomination to Joe Biden, who had won a series of decisive victories as the field narrowed. He supported both Clinton and Biden in their respective general election campaigns against Donald Trump. He has since emerged as a close ally of Biden.Sanders is credited with influencing a leftward shift in the Democratic Party after his 2016 presidential campaign. An advocate of progressive policies, he is known for his opposition to economic inequality and neoliberalism, and support for workers' self-management. On domestic policy, he supports labor rights, universal and single-payer healthcare, paid parental leave, tuition-free tertiary education, an ambitious Green New Deal to create jobs addressing climate change, and worker control of production through cooperatives, unions, and democratic public enterprises. On foreign policy, he supports reducing military spending, pursuing more diplomacy and international cooperation, and putting greater emphasis on labor rights and environmental concerns when negotiating international trade agreements. Sanders supports workplace democracy, and has praised elements of the Nordic model. Some have compared and contrasted his politics to left-wing populism and the New Deal policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The political positions of Bernie Sanders are reflected by his United States Senate voting record, public speeches, and interviews. He is a self-described democratic socialist. Bernie Sanders is an independent senator from Vermont who has served in government since 1981.In 2016, Sanders campaigned for the Presidency of the United States in the Democratic primaries. His proposed policies emphasize reducing economic inequality and expanding social programs and workers' rights.Since the election, Sanders has criticized the presidency of Donald Trump. In February 2019, Sanders announced his candidacy in the Democratic Party primaries for the 2020 presidential election, later withdrawing in April 2020.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a high-profile Jewish officeholder, criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for using claims of antisemitism to deflect criticism of Israel's ongoing war in Gaza. Sanders urged the U.S. to end financial and military support for Israel, calling Israel's response to the conflict with Hamas grossly disproportionate. Sanders responded to Netanyahu's video criticizing campus protests as antisemitic with a video of his own, refuting the prime minister's statement.
In the 2016 presidential campaign, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders sought the Democratic Party's nomination in a field of six major candidates and was the runner up with 46% of the pledged delegates behind former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who won the contest with 54%. Sanders, the junior United States senator and former Representative from Vermont, began with an informal announcement on April 30, 2015, and a formal announcement that he planned to seek the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States on May 26, 2015, in Burlington, Vermont. Sanders had been considered a potential candidate for president since at least September 2014. Though he had previously run as an independent, he routinely caucused with the Democratic Party, as many of his views align with Democrats. Running as a Democrat made it easier to participate in debates and get his name on state ballots.Sanders's chief competitor for the nomination was Hillary Clinton, a former secretary of state. Sanders drew large crowds to his speaking events and his populist and progressive politics won him particular support among Americans under 40. He performed strongly with white voters, but consistently trailed Clinton by 30 or more percentage points among black voters; polls showed a close race among Hispanic voters.Sanders focused on income and wealth inequality, which he argued is eroding the American middle class, and on campaign finance reform. Unlike most other major presidential candidates, Sanders eschewed an unlimited super PAC, instead choosing to receive most of his funding from direct individual campaign donations. In September 2015, The New York Times reported that the campaign had received one million individual donations, becoming the first in 2015 to reach that threshold. Sanders raised $20,000,000 in the month of January 2016, $5,000,000 more than Clinton during the same time period, with an average donation of $27. Sanders frequently mentioned this $27 figure on the campaign trail as proof of his grassroots support.Following the final primary election (the District of Columbia's, on June 14), Clinton became the presumptive Democratic nominee. Sanders did then endorse Clinton, and said he would work with her to defeat the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump. On June 16, Sanders gave a live online speech to his supporters, saying, "The political revolution continues".On July 12, Sanders officially endorsed Clinton at a unity rally with her in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.On July 22, 2016, various emails stolen by one or more hackers operating under the pseudonym "Guccifer 2.0" from the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the governing body of the Democratic Party, were leaked and published, revealing bias against the Sanders campaign on the part of the committee and its chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Schultz subsequently resigned as DNC chair and was replaced by Donna Brazile, who was also implicated in the leaks and apologized to Sanders and his supporters. In the Democratic National Convention roll-call vote on July 26, 2016, Sanders received 1,865 votes (39% of the vote), which consisted of 1,848 pledged delegates won in primary and caucus contests (46% of the total) and 17 superdelegates (4%). After the roll call, Sanders put forward a motion to formally nominate Clinton, which passed by voice vote. Although Sanders lost, he and the political movement his campaign created succeeded in moving the Democratic Party platform as a whole to the left, including support for a $15 minimum wage, marijuana legalization, the abolition of capital punishment, and criminal justice reform.
The Bernie Sanders mittens meme refers to a photograph of Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont and former presidential candidate, seated during the inauguration of Joe Biden and wearing a face mask and distinctive mittens, which went viral. The photograph became an internet meme, inspiring altered versions in which Sanders was placed in historical photographs and other humorous contexts. The popularity of the meme resulted in increased visibility for Sanders and demand for the mittens.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a bill to establish a four-day workweek, titled the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act, reducing the standard workweek from 40 to 32 hours over four years. The legislation aims to protect workers' pay and benefits and has received support from both lawmakers and business leaders. Sanders argues that American workers are over 400% more productive than in the 1940s and that the financial gains from technological advancements should benefit the working class. Several European countries with reduced work hours have seen positive outcomes.
The Pennsylvania primaries will feature a U.S. Senate race between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger David McCormick, potentially influencing control of the Senate. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are expected to secure their party nominations. Write-in votes in the Democratic primary may reflect criticism of Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Casey, a prominent figure in Pennsylvania's Democratic Party, faces a strong challenge from McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO backed by a well-funded super PAC. McCormick aims to consolidate GOP support by differing from the 'crazy progressive left.'
Shant Soghomonian, 35, was arrested for setting fire outside Senator Bernie Sanders' office in Burlington, Vermont. He was recorded on security cameras spraying a liquid near the door and setting it alight. No one was injured in the incident, but there was damage to the door and surrounding areas. Soghomonian is facing up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sanders thanked law enforcement for their response, and there has been an increase in threats against members of Congress recently.
The Vermont Progressive Party, formerly the Progressive Coalition and Independent Coalition, is a political party in the United States that is active in Vermont. It is the third-largest political party in Vermont behind the Democratic and Republican parties. As of 2023, the party has one member in the Vermont Senate and five members in the Vermont House of Representatives, as well as several more affiliated legislators who caucus with the Democratic Party.The last time a third-party had members elected to the state legislature in Vermont since James Lawson of the Socialist Party of America in 1917.
President Joe Biden has not publicly embraced the protests against Israel's war in Gaza, citing his skepticism of protest movements and long-standing support for Israel. Polling shows that pro-Palestinian protests are generally unpopular. Biden's reluctance to align with these protests aligns with his political history and demographic challenges. Progressives, young voters, and Arab and Muslim American voters have withheld support over his stance on Israel. While Trump criticizes the protests, Biden's response may impact the upcoming election, with social unrest being identified as a potential weak spot for Biden.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has gained ballot access in Hawaii after a ruling blocked efforts by Hawaii Democrats to disqualify his petition. This marks the third state where Kennedy has qualified, following Michigan and Utah. The Democratic Party of Hawaii's objection focused on the We the People Party's internal organization. Kennedy's campaign emphasizes support from donors across the political spectrum seeking an independent candidate. Despite opposition from Democrats nationally, Kennedy continues his campaign as an independent candidate running with vice presidential nominee Nicole Shanahan.
National security spokesman John Kirby stated that the White House is increasingly frustrated with Israel's military operations in Gaza, emphasizing the need for changes to prevent civilian casualties. President Biden faced criticism from progressives for being too supportive of Israel amid increasing civilian casualties, including the recent killing of six aid workers by an Israeli airstrike. A group of House Democrats, led by Nancy Pelosi, urged Biden to halt weapons transfers to Israel in light of the humanitarian crisis. Senator Bernie Sanders criticized Biden for not adequately addressing the Palestinian cause.
A man named Shant Soghomonian was charged with setting a fire outside U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders' office in Burlington, Vermont. The incident caused minor damage, and no one was injured. The motive for the arson remains unclear. Sanders was not present at the office during the incident. Soghomonian faces a charge of using fire to damage a building used in interstate commerce, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The case is being investigated by various law enforcement agencies in Vermont.
Shant Michael Soghomonian, accused of setting fire outside Bernie Sanders' Vermont office, has past gun-related law issues and a history of traveling; he threw liquid at the office's door and set it on fire, but no one was harmed. He faces charges, is in custody, and was considered a flight risk due to his disregard for safety and previous incidents. Soghomonian had an AK-47 seized in August, possessed a book on escalating climate movement tactics, and had a firearm assault case in his teens, according to prosecutors.
Former President Donald Trump has accused independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr of being a Democratic Party 'plant' to assist Joe Biden in winning the 2024 election. Trump claims that voting for Kennedy would be a wasted protest vote against the Democrats. Kennedy's stance on issues like Second Amendment rights, border security, and environmentalism has drawn criticism from Trump. The Kennedy family's endorsement of President Biden over Robert F Kennedy Jr has raised concerns among Democratic leaders about the potential impact on their voter base.
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