Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced Monday that he will run for re-election for a fourth term as Senator from Vermont. Sanders first went to the Senate in 2006.
“Bernie Sanders is running for re-election at 82 years old. By the end of his next term, he’ll be 89 years old. Why don’t these people want to live out their last days with their families rather than try and destroy our nation?,” asked conservative podcast host Joey Mannarino on Twitter.
Sanders announced his bid for a fourth term with a nearly nine-minute video on his official YouTube page.
"In recent years, working together, we have made important progress in addressing some very serious challenges. But much, much more needs to be done if we are to become the state, and the nation, that our people deserve” said Sanders in the video.
At 82, Sanders is the second oldest Senator and running at a time when some in the Democrat party are feeling sensitive about the age of their ticket and leadership. A recent poll from ABC News/Ipsos shows as many as 86% of Americans think President Biden is too old to serve another term.
Sanders further said, "In many ways, this 2024 election is the most consequential election in our lifetimes. Will the United States continue to even function as a democracy, or will we move to an authoritarian form of government”?
Sanders served 16 years in the House of Representatives previous to his time in the Senate. Combining his time in both houses, he is the longest serving Independent member of Congress in the history of the United States.
“If re-elected, this means Bernie Sanders will be in Congress until he is 89 years old. 89. years. Old. The median age in the US is 39. And yet we are governed by many people who are more than double that. Whatever your ideology, we need to normalize stepping aside gracefully,” said Reason associate editor Billy Binion.
Republican Gerald Malloy has announced he plans to run against Sanders. No others have joined the race as of this publication date. Sanders is expected to win again as his support in the state is strong and he won his last race with 67% of the vote.