Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) says his coming six-year term will likely be his last in the Senate.
The lawmaker will be 89 at the end of it.
“I’m 83 now,” he told Politico to questions about whether it will be his final one. “I’ll be 89 when I get out of here. You can do the figuring. I don’t know, but I would assume, probably, yes.”
Sanders is about to serve his fourth term in the Senate after spending eight terms in the House.
For years, Sanders represented the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and mounted failed runs for president in 2016 and 2020. He finished second in the primary both times.
The lawmaker founded the Progressive Caucus with several other members in 1991, and membership has now grown to over 100.
“Dozens of them are really strong progressives who share my perspectives,” he said.
Sanders has maintained his stance that Democrats have lost touch with the country, a comment he made soon after President-elect Donald Trump won the election.
“The average American is hurting,” he said. “You’ve got to recognize the reality of what’s going on. And I’m not sure that enough Democrats are doing that.”
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Sanders says he will still be a leading advocate for healthcare, which he championed in his two presidential runs. The senator will lose his role as chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in January.
“We are the only major country on Earth that doesn’t guarantee healthcare to all of its people. And we pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs,” he said. “My vision is pretty clear as to where we have to go.”
