He must have some big mittens to fill.
Democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders revealed that his forthcoming fourth term in the upper chamber will likely be his last, pointing to his octogenarian status.
“I’m 83 now. I’ll be 89 when I get out of here. You can do the figuring. I don’t know, but I would assume, probably, yes,” Sanders (I-Vt.) told Politico when asked if his next term will be his final.
Sanders waltzed to re-election victory last month, securing another six years in the Senate. He has served in Congress since 1991, having initially been elected to the House of Representatives.
The far-left senator caucuses with Democrats in the Senate, despite technically being an independent — and was catapulted to progressive stardom in 2016 with his unsuccessful but competitive bid for the presidency.
Democrats lurched dramatically to the left following a blue-wave year in 2018 as well as during the party’s 2020 primary, in which scores of contenders supported Sanders-backed proposals such as Medicare for All.
At Joe Biden’s inauguration in January 2021, a photo of the Vermont senator went viral showing him huddling for warmth in a parka and hand-knitted mittens, apparently scowling behind an askew surgical face mask after his primary opponent’s electoral victory.
But during the 2024 election cycle, many Dems have begun walking back some of those positions. Vice President Kamala Harris, for instance, attempted to pivot toward the center on border security, fracking and other issues.
Following her defeat and Republicans flipping the Senate while holding on to the House, Sanders issued a blistering critique of the Democratic Party, accusing it of abandoning the working class.
“The average American is hurting,” he reflected to Politico. “You’ve got to recognize the reality of what’s going on. And I’m not sure that enough Democrats are doing that.”
Sanders is the second-oldest member of the Senate, behind Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), 91, who is older than the chocolate chip cookie.
If he were to go for a fifth term, Sanders would theoretically conclude it at the age of 95. Notably, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) died in September last year at the age of 90, elevating concerns about the age of politicians.
The Green Mountain State senator mused that some progressives don’t have a strong grip on the vision that he believes the party needs to be successful.
Despite their differences, Sanders supported Biden in the 2024 election cycle and cautioned against abandoning the Democratic incumbent — and later his successor, Harris — over concern about the US sending military aid to Israel in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Last month, Sanders unsuccessfully fought for an arms embargo on Israel. He serves as chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, but is set to lose that perch ahead of the forthcoming GOP takeover.
“We are the only major country on Earth that doesn’t guarantee health care to all of its people. And we pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs,” Sanders chided to Politico. “My vision is pretty clear as to where we have to go.”
Sanders is typically ranked as the most liberal member of the Senate, according to GovTrack.
The Vermont independent notched re-election as chair of outreach for the Senate Democrats earlier this month during an internal party deliberation.
