Bernie Sanders Biography

Fast Facts

• An Independent-turned-Democrat, he is concerned about issues like income inequality, living wages for workers, climate change, women's rights and LGBT equality
• Attended Brooklyn College and graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in political science in 1964
• Worked as a carpenter and documentary filmmaker in Vermont after he graduated from college
• Quote: "[on coming from a Jewish family affected by the Holocaust] "A guy named Adolf Hitler won an election in 1932 ․․․ and 50 million people died as a result of that ․․․ So what I learned as a little kid is that politics is, in fact, very important․""
• Best known as former congressman from Vermont who has served on the U․S․ Senate and ran for President of the United States in the 2016 election
• During his early career, he was elected as mayor of Burlington, Vt․, in 1981 and later went on to become a congressman for the state
• Was dubbed the "amendment king" in the House of Representatives for getting more amendments passed than any other Congress member