Bernie Sanders, 82, announces his candidacy for Senate re-election

Feel Berne for another six years.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), 82, the second-oldest member of the Senate, announced Monday that he will seek a fourth term.

“This is the most important national election of our lifetimes,” Sanders said in a video statement. “We must fight to ensure that we remain a democracy and not an authoritarian society. »

“The stakes are enormous,” he added. “This is an election we must not lose.”

Sanders will be heavily favored for re-election in Vermont, which has not elected a Republican senator since Jim Jeffords in 1988. (Jeffords left the GOP in 2001 and served the remainder of his term as an independent who made a caucus with the Democrats.)

The last Green Mountain State senator to remain a Republican for his entire term was Robert Stafford, who served more than 17 years before retiring after the 1988 election.

Only Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), 90, is older than Sanders, who turns 83 on September 8.

Sanders avoided mentioning age in his announcement and instead cited his history of championing progressive causes in health care, housing, taxes, and more, while insisting he remains still work to do.

“We must fight to ensure we have a government that represents the working families of our country, not the billionaire class and wealthy campaign contributors,” he said.

The self-described “democratic socialist” is considered the most liberal member of the Senate, according to GovTrack. A two-time presidential candidate, Sanders chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and has championed left-wing wish list items such as free college and a 50-year work week. four days.

Sanders was first elected to the Senate in 2006, succeeding Jeffords after 16 years in the House of Representatives.

Before coming to Washington, Sanders served as mayor of Burlington, Vermont’s largest city, for eight years.

Democrats are defending 23 seats in the November Senate elections, including all three held by independents who are part of the party. The Republicans defended only 11 seats on November 5.