- File: Eric Tadsen
- Sen. Bernie Sanders
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced on Monday that he will seek a fourth six-year term in the Senate this fall, ending months of speculation over his political future.
Sanders, who will turn 83 before November’s election, told Seven Days that he feels a duty to help the country navigate one of the “most difficult moments in American history,” an assessment he framed around former president Donald Trump’s attempt to return to the White House.
“The challenges we face are enormous,” Sanders said, citing climate change, income inequality and the threat he says Trump poses to democracy.
“I am a senior member of the delegation, in a position to have influence,” Sanders said, “and I just cannot turn my back on these crises.”
“The challenges we face are enormous,” Sanders said, citing climate change, income inequality and the threat he says Trump poses to democracy.
“I am a senior member of the delegation, in a position to have influence,” Sanders said, “and I just cannot turn my back on these crises.”
Related Bernie Sanders Sits Down With 'Seven Days' to Talk About Aging Vermont
Bernie Sanders Sits Down With 'Seven Days' to Talk About Aging Vermont
This Old State
Sanders now serves as chair of the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, a position that’s given him broad authority over many of the issues he’s focused on during his four-decade political career.
Some of Sanders' allies were quietly urging him to run for reelection this spring, viewing him as a still-vital force in the broader progressive movement, the Washington Post recently reported. But in typical fashion, Sanders spent months deflecting questions about his political future, saying voters would rather hear him talk about issues.
His announcement comes as lingering questions over President Joe Biden’s fitness for office has much of the electorate paying attention to the age of political candidates. Sanders, who is a year older than Biden, would be 89 by the end of his next term.
Some of Sanders' allies were quietly urging him to run for reelection this spring, viewing him as a still-vital force in the broader progressive movement, the Washington Post recently reported. But in typical fashion, Sanders spent months deflecting questions about his political future, saying voters would rather hear him talk about issues.
His announcement comes as lingering questions over President Joe Biden’s fitness for office has much of the electorate paying attention to the age of political candidates. Sanders, who is a year older than Biden, would be 89 by the end of his next term.
When asked about Biden’s age, Sanders has urged voters to consider the “whole” candidate, including, most importantly, what they stand for. On Monday, Sanders said he personally hasn’t missed a day of work in three years, save for a week recovering from COVID-19, and that he would not have sought reelection if he had any concerns about his own health.
“Who knows what happens tomorrow,” he said, rapping his knuckles on a wooden desk at his campaign office in downtown Burlington. “But I feel healthy, I feel strong, and I think I’m up to the job.”
“Who knows what happens tomorrow,” he said, rapping his knuckles on a wooden desk at his campaign office in downtown Burlington. “But I feel healthy, I feel strong, and I think I’m up to the job.”
Sanders already has a nearly $10 million campaign war chest and only one declared challenger, Republican Gerald Malloy. A U.S. Army veteran, Malloy also ran for Senate in 2022, earning just 28 percent of the vote against Peter Welch.
Shortly after Sanders’ announcement on Monday, the rest of Vermont’s delegation — Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) and Sen. Welch (D-Vt.) — issued statements supporting his candidacy.
If reelected, Sanders said he will continue to focus on a slate of signature issues: expanding health care access, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, pushing for student debt relief, reforming the “broken political system.”
“What we need to do is bring the country together around a sense of purpose,” he said. “The purpose is that, rather than hating each other, we got to come together to address our collective needs.”
Sanders will also serve as an important surrogate for President Biden’s reelection campaign. It’s a role Vermont’s senior senator will have to balance with another he’s taken on in recent months: as a vocal critic of the president’s approach to the war in Gaza.
Speaking last week, Biden condemned anti-war protests on college campuses that have turned violent and made clear that he did not feel compelled to change his policy toward Israel’s offensive.
Sanders responded by telling CNN that he feared the Gaza protests could become Biden’s “Vietnam,” referring to how angst over that war ultimately torpedoed Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1968 campaign.
On Monday, Sanders expressed support for demonstrations that have remained peaceful, including the ongoing encampment at the University of Vermont.
“What these young people are saying is, they don't believe that the United States should be part of the incredible humanitarian disaster caused by Netanyahu’s war machine. And they are saying no more to the killing. And I think that they are right in saying that.”
Sanders added that he has spoken to Biden about Gaza on multiple occasions and hoped that the president would come to realize that supporting the Israeli offensive was not only wrong from a “moral perspective” but was also “very bad politics as well.”
Still, between Biden and Trump, “the most dangerous person in American history, the choice is clear,” Sanders said. “And we've got to do everything we can to see that Biden is reelected.”
Related Gerald Malloy’s Insurgent GOP Campaign for U.S. Senate Pits Him Against Popular Dem Peter Welch
Gerald Malloy’s Insurgent GOP Campaign for U.S. Senate Pits Him Against Popular Dem Peter Welch
Politics
If reelected, Sanders said he will continue to focus on a slate of signature issues: expanding health care access, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, pushing for student debt relief, reforming the “broken political system.”
“What we need to do is bring the country together around a sense of purpose,” he said. “The purpose is that, rather than hating each other, we got to come together to address our collective needs.”
Sanders will also serve as an important surrogate for President Biden’s reelection campaign. It’s a role Vermont’s senior senator will have to balance with another he’s taken on in recent months: as a vocal critic of the president’s approach to the war in Gaza.
Speaking last week, Biden condemned anti-war protests on college campuses that have turned violent and made clear that he did not feel compelled to change his policy toward Israel’s offensive.
Sanders responded by telling CNN that he feared the Gaza protests could become Biden’s “Vietnam,” referring to how angst over that war ultimately torpedoed Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1968 campaign.
On Monday, Sanders expressed support for demonstrations that have remained peaceful, including the ongoing encampment at the University of Vermont.
“What these young people are saying is, they don't believe that the United States should be part of the incredible humanitarian disaster caused by Netanyahu’s war machine. And they are saying no more to the killing. And I think that they are right in saying that.”
Sanders added that he has spoken to Biden about Gaza on multiple occasions and hoped that the president would come to realize that supporting the Israeli offensive was not only wrong from a “moral perspective” but was also “very bad politics as well.”
Still, between Biden and Trump, “the most dangerous person in American history, the choice is clear,” Sanders said. “And we've got to do everything we can to see that Biden is reelected.”
Comments
Comments are closed.
From 2014-2020, Seven Days allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we've appreciated the suggestions and insights, right now Seven Days is prioritizing our core mission — producing high-quality, responsible local journalism — over moderating online debates between readers.
To criticize, correct or praise our reporting, please send us a letter to the editor or send us a tip. We’ll check it out and report the results.
Online comments may return when we have better tech tools for managing them. Thanks for reading.