2016 DNC runner-up, Bernie Sanders announced his intention to run for the 2020 Democratic nomination for President of the United States.
The Vermont Independent Senator who helped move the needle further to the left for the Democrats in 2016 told Vermont Public Radio that “I think the current occupant of the White House is an embarrassment to our country,” labeling President Trump a “pathological liar.”
Aside from his role as senator, his ascension in the Democratic field in 2016 and influence since was a wake up call for the DNC, even as the party helped orchestrate the nomination for Hillary Clinton.
Unlike 2016, Sanders will face a much different field for the nomination in 2020. Medicare for all and raising the minimum wage has become a mainstream for the many of the candidates in the Democratic Party (thanks to him) and unlike 2016 when he was the underdog, Sanders is most certainly one of the early favorites heading into the race.
Sanders too will have his challenges which includes trying to differentiate himself from the other candidates who have adopted much of his platform, his age (he’ll be 79 on election day in 2020) and the sexual harassment claims against his campaign in 2016.