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Bernie SandersINDIndependent United States Senator
82
Years of Age
42
Years of Experience
VTResidence (state)

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.

Voterly's Issue Scores  (1 - 30 of 30)

Below lists the position this politician has taken on a political issue. The star rating represents the politician's prioritization and action on the issue based on data collected by relevant interest groups. Select an issue to view a more in-depth explanation of each rating.

Special Interest Group Ratings

Interest Groups That SUPPORT
Rating
Interest Groups That OPPOSE
Rating
Average Score

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Campaign Funding

20
18
$11,795,106
Total Raised
$6,207,042
Total Spent
$9,094,921
Cash on Hand
Top Industries  (1 - 4 of 10) View All Industries
99%
Retired$1,053,278
36%
Education$380,794
16%
Health Professionals$173,486
16%
Democratic/Liberal$168,277
11%
Civil Servants/Public Officials$119,696
9%
Lawyers/Law Firms$98,397
8%
Misc Business$83,811
7%
Electronics Mfg & Equip$79,171
7%
Other$77,640
7%
Business Services$73,213
Direct campaign contributions grouped by the industry industry of each donor/PAC.

Largest Contributors

Funding generally from an organization's PAC or its members/employees. Organizations did not donate directly.
Financial Data Source: Center for Responsive Politics
Education5 - 5 of 3
University of Chicago
BA Political Science
1964
Brooklyn College
Attended
1959 - 1960
James Madison High School, Brooklyn, New York
Attended
1954 - 1958
Past Positions1 - 9 of 9
Chair of Outreach
Democratic Leadership, United States Senate
2017 - Current
Senator
United States Senate, Vermont
2006 - Current
Representative
United States House of Representatives, Vermont
1990 - 2006
Mayor
City of Burlington
1981 - 1989
Lecturer
Hamilton College
1989 - 1990
Lecturer
John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
1989
Director
American People's Historical Society
1976 - 1981
Former Employee
Bread and Law Task Force
Former Researcher
Vermont Department of Taxes
Other Experience1 - 18 of 18
Chair
Vermont Liberty Union Party
1971 - 1976
Member
Friends of Ireland
Member
National Guard and Reserve Components Organization
Member
Northeast-Midwest Coalition
Member
Coalition on Population and Development
Co-Chair
Congressional Child Care Caucus
2003 - 2004
Officer
Congressional Progressive Caucus
1991 - 1998
Co-Founder
Congressional Progressive Caucus
1991
Co-Chair
Prescription Drug Task Force
Chair
the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee
Former Chair
Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, United States Senate
Former Chair
Senate Budget Committee
Former Member
Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight Subcommittee, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, United States Senate
Member
the Energy and Natural Resources Committeee
Member
the Environment and Public Works Committee
Member
Senate Budget Committee