Washington ( CNN ) Bernie Sanders might not be a member of the Democratic Party , but the independent senator from Vermont is openly considering a run at the party 's presidential nomination -- and that might not be a problem after all . According to a Democratic National Committee aide , Sanders would not have a problem getting on Democratic primary and caucus ballots because the current party rules do not call for presidential candidates to be registered members of the party . The DNC defines a presidential candidate as someone who `` has accrued delegates in the nominating process and plans to seek the nomination , has established substantial support for his or her nomination as the Democratic candidate for the Office of the President of the United States , is a bona fide Democrat whose record of public service , accomplishment , public writings and/or public statements affirmatively demonstrates that he or she is faithful to the interests , welfare and success of the Democratic Party of the United States , and will participate in the Convention in good faith . '' Sanders , according to the DNC aide who asked to be anonymous because he is not yet a candidate , appears to comply with those rules . `` There is no registration requirement , '' said the aide . `` You have to be a good faith Democrats , but you do n't have to submit some sort of proof of registration . There is no long form birth certificate required showing you were born a Democrat . '' States do have the ability to write their own rules for who qualifies as a candidate in their respective primary or caucus , but the aide said no one at the DNC can recall a state that has ever included being a registered Democrat as a requirement for their presidential candidates . That is the case for Iowa in 2016 , too . `` The Iowa Democratic Party has always welcomed potential candidates for our party 's Presidential nomination with open arms , '' said Christina Freundlich , spokeswoman for the Iowa Democratic Party . `` In terms of who is eligible to participate as a candidate , we take our cues from the DNC 's rules . '' Tad Devine , a Democratic political consultant working with senator , points out that because Sanders has come up politically in Vermont -- a state with no party registration -- there is actually no way for him to register officially as a Democrat . `` The mechanism does n't exist , '' said Devine . The political consultant , however , said that in order to get on the ballot in some states , Sanders would have to `` pledge some allegiance to the Democratic Party . '' `` He wo n't have to sign on to every plank of the Democratic platform in order to get in , but he will have to acknowledge that he is running as a Democrat , '' Devine said . `` I think Bernie will have to do that . '' Sanders has caucused with the Democratic Party ever since he came to Washington as a congressman in 1991 . He unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate in 1971 as a member of Liberty Union party and , in 1981 , when he successfully ran for mayor of Burlington , Vermont , he did so as an independent . At times , the senator identifies as a democratic ( small D ) socialist . But now that he is considering a run for the Democratic nomination , his calculation is changing . `` I am getting balder and balder trying to figure these things out , '' he said at an event in Washington , D.C. on Monday where he acknowledged -- as he has before -- that he would not run outside the Democratic party establishment . Whether he would change his party affiliation is another story . `` That is a decision I would have to make , '' he has said . Devine , the political consultant working with Sanders , put it bluntly : `` Would something stop Bernie from running as a Democrat ? The bottom line answer to that is no . ''
A Democratic National Committee aide says the fact Bernie Sanders is n't a registered Democrat might not be a presidential problem for him . The party defines `` bona fide Democrats '' as someone `` whose record of public service , accomplishment , public writings '' comport with the party . Sanders has been an independent since the 1980s , but has caucused with the Democrats since coming to Congress in 1991 .