Bernard (Bernie) Sanders was born in 1941 in Brooklyn, New York. His religious affiliation is Jewish. He is married to Jane (O’Meara) Sanders, and they have raised four children. Sanders attended high school in Brooklyn. He studied for one year at Brooklyn College before transferring to the University of Chicago. It may be said that his political career started when in college. He became involved in the civil rights movements of the early 1960’s, joining the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Sanders was an originator of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and joined in the March on Washington in 1963. He graduated from college in 1964 with a degree in political science, and eventually made Vermont his home.
In 1981, Sanders was elected Mayor of Burlington, Vermont. He served in that office until 1989. In 1990 Sanders sought a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected as the first “independent” candidate to win a seat in Congress in four decades.
Sanders served in Congress until 2007. In 2006 he was successful in winning a U.S. Senate seat, defeating Republican Richard Tarrant. Sanders described himself as a "democratic socialist" (Mead n.p.). He was re-elected to the Senate in 2012. During his Senate terms, Sanders served on many committees including the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, and the Energy & Natural Resources Committee.
In 2015, Sanders announced his intentions to seek the Democratic nomination for president of the United States. Although a “longtime independent” (Mead n.p.) Sanders indicated that it would be advantageous to seek the nomination as a candidate of one the two major parties. He acknowledged that running on an independent ticket would likely be unsuccessful in gaining the nomination.
Sanders platform is that of a liberal (in the thinking of the Democratic Party). He advocates for equal pay for women, and increasing tax liabilities for the most wealthy of Americans. He advocates a “tuition-free” higher education system (Mead n.p.). Additionally, he is a proponent of “pro-choice” and the right to same-sex marriage.
Works Cited
Mead, Wendy. “Bernie Sanders Biography.” The Biography.com website. n.d. Web. 15 May, 2016.
