Bernie Sanders Is Running Again

At the ripe old age of 82, Bernie Sanders is definitely not trying to retire. As the Hill reports, the Independent senator from Vermont is seeking a fourth term this year, and he's likely to get it, having won his three previous terms handily. A victory would keep Sanders in his seat until he's 89 (he turns 83 in September)—still shy of the Senate's current ruling oldster, Chuck Grassley, the 90-year-old Iowa Republican. The announcement ends a lot of speculation about whether the two-time presidential candidate would retire, notes the Washington Post.

• Sanders' statement: "This is the most important national election in our lifetimes," he said. "We must fight to make sure that we remain a democracy, not an authoritarian society. We must fight to make sure that we have a government which represents the working families of our country, not the billionaire class and wealthy campaign contributors. We must fight to make sure that women can control their own bodies, and that we save the planet from the ravages of climate change. The stakes are enormous. This is an election we must not lose."
• Reading between those lines: Per the Post, Sanders is deeply concerned about a Donald Trump win in November, and wants to do everything he can to shore up President Biden's re-election bid. He comes from a place of deeper power if he's running for re-election and not a lame duck.

(More Bernie Sanders stories.)