Progressive champion and two-time presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders announces re-election bid

Saying that "today I americium announcing my volition to question different term" successful the Senate, longtime autarkic Sen. Bernie Sanders connected Monday formally launched his bid for re-election.

The 82-year-old progressive champion who caucuses with the Democrats is moving for a 4th six-year word representing the bluish authorities of Vermont in the Senate.

Sanders, the runner-up for the 2016 and 2020 Democratic statesmanlike nominations, is the seat of the Senate's apical wellness attraction committee, a elder subordinate connected some the Budget and Veterans committees, and is portion of the Democrats' enactment squad successful the chamber. 

"I person been, and volition beryllium if re-elected, successful a beardown presumption to supply the benignant of assistance Vermonters request successful these hard times," Sanders touted successful an on-camera announcement posted connected societal media.

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Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks during a proceeding connected Capitol Hill, June 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Sanders emphasized that "in caller years, moving together, we person made important advancement successful addressing immoderate precise superior challenges. But much, overmuch much needs to beryllium done if we are to go the authorities and the federation our radical deserve."

The senator, who has agelong worked to propulsion the Democratic Party to the left, pushed for trillions successful spending during the archetypal 2 years of President Biden's administration, arsenic the federation rebounded from the coronavirus pandemic. But his efforts to walk authorities expanding Medicare and weakening the filibuster were unsuccessful.

But Sanders has besides worked to question compromise with much mean members of the Democratic league and astatine times with the GOP minority.

While a Biden ally, Sanders has been a vocal professional of the White House and Democrats successful caller months implicit their propulsion to supply assistance to Israel arsenic it battles Hamas successful the warfare successful Gaza.

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Sanders acknowledged that "Israel had the implicit close to support itself from this violent attack," arsenic helium pointed to the bloody October onslaught by Hamas that near of 1,200 Israelis dead.

"But it did not and does not person the close to spell to warfare against the full Palestinian people," helium added, arsenic helium pointed to the Israeli warfare successful Gaza that has reportedly near implicit 34,000 Palestinians dead. "U.S. taxation dollars should not beryllium going to the extremist Netanyahu authorities to proceed its devastating warfare against the Palestinian people."

Sanders, a erstwhile Socialist politician of Burlington, Vermont's largest city, aboriginal served successful the House of Representatives earlier winning predetermination to the Senate successful 2006.

He was narrowly edged by Hillary Clinton successful a marathon and divisive 2016 Democratic statesmanlike superior battle, and was the past campaigner lasting against Biden successful the contention for the 2020 nomination.

Sen. Bernie Sanders campaigns successful Las Vegas connected  Feb. 21, 2020, up of the Democratic statesmanlike caucuses. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)

Democrats presently power the U.S. Senate with a 51-49 majority, but Republicans are looking astatine a favorable Senate representation this year, with Democrats defending 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs. 

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Three of those seats are successful reddish states that erstwhile President Trump carried successful 2020 – Ohio, Montana and West Virginia, wherever Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin is not moving for re-election. And 5 much are successful cardinal wide predetermination battleground states.

Democrats are besides defending an unfastened spot successful bluish Maryland, wherever fashionable erstwhile two-term Republican Gov. Larry Hogan is moving for the Senate.

Sen. Bernie Sanders has been captious of the Biden administration's enactment for Israel's warfare against Hamas. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

With Sanders moving for re-election, Vermont's spot is not considered successful play and he's expected to easy triumph different term.

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Republican Gerald Malloy, who mislaid the 2022 predetermination successful Vermont, is moving again.

Framing his re-election effort, Sanders highlighted what's astatine stake.

"There are precise hard times for our state and successful world. And, successful galore ways, this 2024 predetermination is the astir consequential predetermination successful our lifetimes. Will the United States proceed to adjacent relation arsenic a democracy, oregon volition we determination to an authoritarian signifier of government?" the legislator asked. 

Get the latest updates from the 2024 run trail, exclusive interviews and much astatine our Fox News Digital predetermination hub.