Hillary Clinton has her first 2016 challenger: Bernie Sanders
The Vermont Senator will announce his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday. Sanders, 73, is the longest-serving Independent member of Congress.
According to Vermont Public Radio, Sanders, an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats, will release a short statement and subsequently hold a campaign kickoff event.
Though he has been relatively mum about his presidential aspirations, the self-described socialist has been vocal about a number of issues in recent months, setting the stage for a platform that will likely focus on class warfare and challenge Clinton’s claim to speak for America’s middle class.
“I don’t want to do it unless I can do it well,” he said about running for president in early December. “I don’t want to do it unless we can win this thing.”
Sanders will have a lot of work to do. With 5.6 points, he places fourth among Democrats in a RealClearPolitics average of polls. Clinton, the leader, has 62 points.
