Bernie Sanders is the senior senator from Vermont and the most nationally recognized democratic socialist in modern American politics. He has served in the U.S. Senate since 2007, after more than 15 years representing Vermont in the U.S. House.
Born September 8, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York, Sanders moved to Vermont in the late 1960s. He was elected mayor of Burlington in 1981 and built a reputation as an economic populist focused on housing, working-class wages, and local democracy.
Sanders’ 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns helped shove ideas like Medicare for All, tuition-free public college, a $15 minimum wage, and a Green New Deal into the Democratic mainstream. His brand is anti-corporate, pro-labor, very online, and proudly grassroots-funded.
Democratic Socialist
Achievements
- Drove the national conversation on Medicare for All and universal healthcare coverage
- Built one of the most effective small-dollar fundraising machines in U.S. political history
- Championed $15+ minimum wage, union rights, and anti-corporate accountability
- Co-authored climate and Green New Deal–aligned policy pushes aimed at a rapid energy transition
- Helped normalize “democratic socialism” in mainstream debate post-2016
Controversies
- Moderates — including many Democrats — call his agenda unrealistic, too expensive, or politically self-defeating
- Faced criticism over the feasibility and tax burden of large-scale federal guarantees (healthcare, tuition, jobs)
- Has been accused of dividing the Democratic vote in primaries while not technically being a Democrat in Vermont
- Foreign policy critics cast him as overly dovish and skeptical of military intervention
Top Donors
| Donor | Total | Individuals | PACs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Inc | $50,918 | $50,918 | $0 |
| Kaiser Permanente | $40,261 | $40,261 | $0 |
| Apple Inc | $38,108 | $38,108 | $0 |
| Amazon.com | $35,135 | $35,135 | $0 |
| US Postal Service | $34,482 | $34,482 | $0 |
Amounts shown reflect organization-linked giving; most funds listed here are from individual donors rather than corporate PAC money.
Recent Elections
2006 Margin D +33%
2012 Margin D +46%
2018 Margin D +40%