Bernie Sanders's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Bernie Sanders.

Bernie Sanders is a prominent American politician, currently serving as the senior U.S. Senator from Vermont. As the longest-serving independent in Congress, he closely aligns with the Democratic Party, having caucused with them and actively sought their presidential nomination in both 2016 and 2020. He is widely regarded as a leading figure in the modern American progressive movement, advocating for policies aimed at social and economic justice.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1963: End of Segregation at University of Chicago

In the summer of 1963, the University of Chicago ended racial segregation in private university housing after protests.

1981: Campaign against waterfront development

In 1981, Bernie Sanders campaigned against Burlington developer Tony Pomerleau's plans to convert the industrial waterfront into expensive condominiums, hotels, and offices. He successfully supported a plan to redevelop the area into a mixed-use district featuring housing, parks, and public spaces, running under the slogan "Burlington is not for sale".

1981: Elected as mayor of Burlington, Vermont

In 1981, Sanders ran as an independent for mayor of Burlington, Vermont, and defeated the Democratic incumbent.

1990: Election to U.S. House of Representatives

In 1990, Sanders was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Vermont's at-large congressional district.

1991: Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives

In 1991, Sanders became the first independent elected to the U.S. House of Representatives since 1952.

October 24, 1992: Cancer Registries Amendment Act signed into law

On October 24, 1992, the Cancer Registries Amendment Act, which Sanders sponsored, was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush.

1995: Start of period assessed by Rolling Stone

In 2005, Rolling Stone called Sanders the "amendment king" for his ability to get more roll call amendments passed than any other congressman during the period since 1995, when Congress was entirely under Republican control.

2005: "Amendment king"

In 2005, Rolling Stone called Sanders the "amendment king" for his ability to get more roll call amendments passed than any other congressman since 1995.

2006: Election to U.S. Senate

In 2006, Sanders was elected to the U.S. Senate, becoming the first non-Republican elected to Vermont's Class 1 seat since 1850.

August 2011: High approval rating as U.S. Senator

In August 2011, a Public Policy Polling survey found Bernie Sanders's approval rating at 67%, making him the third-most popular U.S. senator at the time.

2012: Re-election to U.S. Senate

In 2012, Sanders was reelected to the U.S. Senate.

July 31, 2014: Passage of Veterans' Access to Care Act by both chambers

On July 31, 2014, the Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014, incorporating Bernie Sanders' bill, passed both chambers of Congress.

August 7, 2014: Signing of Veterans' Access to Care Act into law

On August 7, 2014, the Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014, which included elements from Bernie Sanders' bill, was signed into law by President Obama.

2014: Ranked third in The Forward 50

In 2014, Bernie Sanders ranked third in The Forward 50.

November 2015: Highest approval rating among U.S. Senators

In November 2015, a Morning Consult poll indicated that Bernie Sanders had an 83% approval rating among his constituents, making him the most popular U.S. senator.

December 4, 2015: Won Time's 2015 Person of the Year readers' poll

On December 4, 2015, Sanders won Time's 2015 Person of the Year readers' poll with 10.2% of the vote.

March 20, 2016: Given an honorary Lushootseed name

On March 20, 2016, Sanders was given an honorary Lushootseed name, dxʷshudičup, by Deborah Parker in Seattle to honor his focus on Native American issues during his presidential campaign.

May 2016: Sanders Polling Favored Over Trump

An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll in May 2016 indicated that Sanders would defeat Trump, while Clinton and Trump were in a dead heat. Sanders also had a more favorable rating.

July 2016: Democratic Platform Draft as Monument to Sanders Campaign

In July 2016, a Slate article called the Democratic platform draft "a monument to his campaign", highlighting the inclusion of issues like a $15 minimum wage and Social Security expansion.

2016: Ranked first in The Forward 50

In 2016, Bernie Sanders ranked first in The Forward 50.

March 2017: Highest net favorability among politicians

In March 2017, Fox News found Bernie Sanders to have the highest net favorability at +28 points of any prominent politician included in its poll.

April 2017: Highest favorability rating among political figures

In April 2017, a nationwide Harvard-Harris Poll found that Bernie Sanders had the highest favorability rating among all the political figures included in the poll.

May 30, 2017: Received an honorary degree from Brooklyn College

On May 30, 2017, Sanders received an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Brooklyn College.

April 2018: Democratic Party Admitting Sanders Was Right

In April 2018, an opinion article suggested the Democratic Party was quietly admitting that Sanders was right regarding his policy stances.

2018: Reelection in the 2018 United States Senate election in Vermont

In 2018, Sanders was reelected in the United States Senate election in Vermont.

2018: Re-election to U.S. Senate

In 2018, Sanders was reelected to the U.S. Senate.

June 2019: Sanders Campaign Raised The Most Money

According to Federal Election Commission filings, the Sanders campaign had raised the most money in the 2020 Democratic field as of June 2019.

September 2019: Sanders Campaign Reached One Million Donors

In September 2019, the Sanders campaign became the fastest in U.S. history to reach one million donors.

October 1, 2019: Sanders Campaign Raised $25.3 Million

On October 1, 2019, the Sanders campaign announced it had raised $25.3 million in the year's third quarter, with an average donation of $18, marking the largest quarterly sum raised by any Democratic candidate.

February 2020: Sanders Polling In First Place

From mid-February 2020 to the start of March, Sanders polled in first place in the Democratic primary ahead of Joe Biden and was described by the press as the party's presidential front-runner.

2020: Second Presidential Nomination Bid

In 2020, Sanders again sought the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. His strong showing in early primaries and caucuses made him the front-runner in a large field of Democratic candidates. He became a close ally of Joe Biden after the 2020 primaries.