Bernie Sanders to seek U.S. presidency again

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders

, the Vermont progressive whose 2016 White House campaign garnered fervent grassroots support and pushed the Democratic Party sharply to the left, said on Tuesday he would again seek the party’s presidential nomination in 2020 .

Sanders, 77, announced his candidacy in an email to supporters, vowing to build a vast movement to confront the special interests that he said dominate government and politics .

Sanders said he would push for many of the same issues that powered his 2016 run and resonated with younger voters, including universal healthcare , raising the hourly minimum wage to USD$15 , and free public college tuition .

“Our campaign is about creating a government and economy that works for the many , not just the few,” Sanders said, asking for 1 million people to sign up to kick off his bid.

Sanders’ insurgent 2016 candidacy against front-runner Hillary Clinton ended up capturing 23 state nominating contests but generated tension between the party’s establishment and liberal wings that split the Democrats in 2016 and still plagues the party.

He joins an already-crowded Democratic race featuring candidates touting many of the ideas he brought into the party mainstream. They include fellow Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey , Kamala Harris of California , Kirsten Gillibrand of New York , Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota , and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts .

Sanders has been among the leaders in early opinion polls of prospective 2020 Democratic candidates, but a broad range of progressive candidates could make it harder for Sanders to stand out and generate the same level of support as four years ago.

Sanders enters the race with clear strengths

, including broad name recognition, a proven ability to raise money from small-dollar donors and a committed set of passionate supporters.

But he is also likely to face questions about his age and relevance

in a party that is increasingly advancing more diverse and fresh voices, including those of women and minorities—groups that Sanders struggled to win over in 2016.

The primaries and caucuses that determine the party’s nominee will begin in February 2020 in Iowa , and the Democratic winner is likely to face Trump in the general election in November.

sg