Bernard Sanders ( born September 8 , 1941 ) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States Senator from Vermont since 2007 . Vermont 's at-large Congressman from 1991 to 2007 , he is the longest serving independent in U.S. congressional history and a member of the Democratic caucus . Sanders ran unsuccessfully for the 2016 Democratic nomination for president and is running again in 2020 . A self-described democratic socialist and progressive , Sanders is known for his opposition to economic inequality . On domestic policy , he broadly supports labor rights , and has supported universal and single-payer healthcare , paid parental leave , and tuition-free tertiary education . On foreign policy , he broadly 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
2016 Democratic nomination
2016 Democratic National Convention
Bernie Sanders