Biography:

Bernard Sanders was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and resides in Burlington, Vt. He received a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Chicago in 1964, and completed graduate courses at New York's New School for Social Research.

He moved to Vermont in 1968. Sanders worked as a carpenter, youth counselor, freelance writer and a filmmaker from 1968 to 1981. In 1981, he was elected mayor of Burlington, Vt., and served until 1989, when he did not seek re-election. Sanders taught political science at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and at Hamilton College. He was elected to the U.S. House in 1990 and is serving his seventh term. Sanders and his wife, Jane Driscoll, have one child and three stepchildren.

Past Campaigns:

Bernie Sanders was elected to the U.S. House in 1990 with 56 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Peter Smith. He was re-elected in 1992 with 60 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat Lewis Young and Republican Tim Philbin.

He was re-elected in 1994, defeating Republican John Carroll with 50 percent of the vote. In 1996, he was re-elected with 55 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Susan Sweetser and Democrat Jack Long.

Sanders was re-elected in 1998, defeating Republican Mark Candon with 64 percent of the vote.

In 2000 Sanders captured 69 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Karen Kerin. Sanders won 64 percent of the vote in defeating Republican Bill Meub in 2002.

Sanders ran unsuccessfully for governor of Vermont in 1972, 1976 and 1986, and for the U.S. Senate in 1970 and 1974.

He was elected mayor of Burlington in 1981 and was re-elected in 1983, 1985 and 1987. Sanders lost the 1988 race to fill the U.S. House seat left vacant when Jim Jeffords joined the Senate race.

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