Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is running for a fourth term in the Senate, he announced Monday, likely cementing the longtime progressive for years to come in the upper chamber.
“This is the most important national election of our lifetimes,” Sanders said in a statement. “We must fight to ensure that we remain a democracy, not an authoritarian society. We must fight to ensure that we have a government that represents our country’s working families, not the billionaire class and wealthy campaign contributors. We must fight to ensuring that women can control their own bodies and that we save the planet from the ravages of climate change. The stakes are enormous.
Sanders, 82, is the second-oldest member of the upper chamber, behind only Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and others his age have made plans to leave.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is leaving his post atop the GOP conference at the end of the year and has said he will not run for another term in 2026. Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Joe Manchin have said they will retire at the end of this year.
The decision will likely keep Sanders in his place for the foreseeable future. The self-described democratic socialist handily won all three Senate races, including the 2018 contest by a 40-point margin.
It also means that he will continue to wield the increased power and influence that came with his two runs for the Democratic presidential nomination and through his role as chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
The Vermont independent served more than 40 years in public office. In addition to his three terms in the upper house, Sanders was a member of the House for eight terms and served as mayor of Burlington, Vermont, for most of the 1980s.
His operation generated a number of acolytes, including members of the “squad” in the House, while he maintained his disdain for the country’s billionaires and richest earners.
Sanders has emerged in recent months as one of the left’s leading critics of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza. He has consistently called on the Biden administration and Congress to cut off unconditional aid to what he has labeled “Netanyahu’s war machine.”
Last month, he voted against the $95 billion foreign aid package and cited the money included for Israel.
“US taxpayers should not be providing billions more to Netanyahu’s extremist government to continue its devastating war against the Palestinian people,” Sanders said in his statement at the time.
“Housing in Gaza is destroyed; infrastructure in Gaza is destroyed; the health system in Gaza is destroyed; the educational system in Gaza is destroyed,” he continued. “Enough is enough. Enough money for Netanyahu’s war machine.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
