Bernie Sanders announces US Senate reelection bid

Bernie Sanders announces US Senate reelection bid
AFP

Washington (AFP) – Former presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders on Monday announced he will seek reelection to the US Senate in November’s midterms, vowing to push forward with his hardline opposition to President Donald Trump.

“If reelected, you can be sure that I will continue to be the fiercest opponent in the Senate to the rightwing extremism of Trump and the Republican leadership,” the 76-year-old Vermont senator said on Twitter.

“These are frightening and unprecedented times. We have a president who is not only a pathological liar, but someone who is trying to win votes by dividing our nation up based on the color of our skin, our country of origin, our religion, our gender or our sexual orientation,” he said.

“We need to continue our fight for a progressive agenda which will take on oligarchy, and improve the lives of working people throughout our country,” he insisted.

Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, is seeking a third term as senator and should face no serious opposition in his home state, which holds primaries in August, according to poll aggregator RealClear Politics.

Democrats hope to regain a Senate majority in the November 6 vote. Currently, Republicans hold a slim advantage with 51 seats out of 100.

Lifted by young and enthusiastic supporters, Sanders emerged as a surprise challenger to Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination in 2016 — bashing Wall Street and advocating for universal healthcare, before finally dropping out. 

He has not said whether he plans to run for president again in 2020.

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