Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist who nearly toppled Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primary, launched a campaign for the 2020 presidential nomination on Tuesday, plunging into a diverse and crowded field in which other candidates are echoing his themes and attempting to claim the progressive mantle.
A 77-year-old independent from Vermont, Sanders retains a large and loyal following and a formidable grass-roots fund-raising operation, thanks to the insurgent campaign he ran against Clinton in 2016, when he won 22 states, many by landslide margins.