Bernie Sanders

**Bernard **"**Bernie**"** Sanders** (born 8 September 1941) is an American politeecian. He is a United States Senator frae Vermont.  Afore servin in the Senate, he representit Vermont's at-lairge congressional destrict in the Unitit States Hoose o Representatives an servit as mayor o Burlington, Vermont.

Syne his election tae the Senate, Sanders haes emergit as a leadin progressive vyce on issues lik income inequality, climate chynge, an campaign finance reform. He rose tae naitional prominence on the heels o his 2010 filibuster o the proposit extension o the Bush-era tax rates for the walthie. Sanders is an aa ootspoken on ceevil liberties issues, an haes been parteecularly creetical o mass surveillance policies syne the Patriot Act.

On Apryle 30, 2015, Sanders annooncit his candidacy in the 2016 Unitit States presidential election in an address on the Capitol lawn.

## Early life
Sanders wis born in Brooklyn, New York tae Eli Sanders an Dorothy Glassberg. His parents war Polish-Jewish immigrants wha moweit tae New York durin the early years o Warld War II.

Sanders studit at Brooklyn College an at the Varsity o Chicago. He wis ane o thowsands o students wha travelit bi bus tae Washington, D.C., tae tak pairt in the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

## Early career (1981-2006)
Efter severel unsuccessfil runs for office, Sanders wis electit mayor o Burlington, Vermont's lairgest ceety, in 1981. He wis reelectit tae three mair twa-year mayoral terms afore bein elected tae represent Vermont's at-lairge congressional destrict in the Unitit States Hoose o Representatives in 1990. He servit as a congressman for 16 years.

## U.S. senator (2007-present)

Sanders wis elected tae succeid the retirin Republican-turnit-independent Jim Jeffords in the U.S. Senate in 2006. In 2012 he wis reelectit bi a landslide. Sanders wis the anly independent member o the Hoose durin maist o his service an is the langest-servin independent in U.S. congressional history.

Syne his election tae the Senate, Sanders haes emergit as a leadin progressive vyce on issues lik income inequality, climate chynge, an campaign finance reform.  He rose tae naitional prominence on the heels o his 2010 filibuster o the proposit extension o the Bush-era tax rates for the walthie.

Sanders is an aa ootspoken on ceevil liberties issues, an haes been parteecularly creetical o mass surveillance policies syne the Patriot Act.

Sanders is the langest servin independent member o Congress in American history.

## 2016 presidential campaign

In an interview wi *[[The Nation]]* on Mairch 6, 2014, Sanders statit that he wis "preparit to run for Preses o the Unitit States" in 2016 but did nae offeecially annoonce a campaign.

On Apryle 28, 2015, Vermont Public Radio reportit that Sanders wad annoonce his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination on Apryle 30. The offeecial annooncement came on Mey 26 in Burlington, Vermont.

## Personal life
Sanders haes been mairit tae Jane O'Meara Driscoll. Thay hae fower childer.

Sanders self-identifies as Jewish culturally but states that he is nae religious. He admires Pape Francis an says he feels “very close tae the teachins o Pope Francis,” wha he descryves as “incredibly smart an brave."

## References

## Ither wabsteids

*Offeecial U.S. Senate Site
*Offeecial Facebook Page
*Offeecial Twitter Accoont
*Officeeal YouTube Channel
*Friends of Bernie Sanders, a campaign site