Bernie Sanders

United States Senator from Vermont^[1],[2]

Independent85 years old

All pins mentioning Bernie Sanders Wikipedia Website

In office since: January 3, 2007
Born: September 8, 1941
Religion: Judaism^[3]

Earnings by year1

What each year added up to: salary, plus outside income, royalties, endorsements, prizes and investment income where a source reports them. A financial disclosure gives ranges, shown as such.

2026$174,000Total
Senate salary^[4]
$174,000

Life phases1

One octagon for each phase of the life of Bernie Sanders. Each of the eight axes is scored 0 to 5 against a written rubric from documented evidence, with its source; an axis without evidence is a gap, not a zero. There is no total and no ideal shape: it is a profile, not a ranking. Appearance and personality are not axes, because they cannot be scored from evidence.

OverviewGenerated from documented data, with researched axes added.

No total and no ideal shape: a longer spoke means more of that axis, so a long Misconduct spoke is more documented misconduct.

Scores, rubric and sources

01Education3 of 5: Medium confidenceHighest recorded degree: Bachelor of Arts.^[3]Highest attainment by then: 1 secondary school, 2 some college, 3 bachelor's degree, 4 master's or professional degree, 5 doctorate.
02Wealth2 of 5: Medium confidenceDocumented income of $174,000 in 2026 is in the top 25% of US returns by adjusted gross income (IRS, tax year 2022, as tabulated by the Tax Foundation). Income, not net worth.^[4]Net worth or income against the national thresholds of the time: 1 below the median household, 3 top 5%, 5 top 0.1%.
03Position4 of 5: High confidenceUnited States Senator from Vermont: a national-level, statewide office.^[1]Scope of the role held: 1 entry level, 3 senior manager or legislator, 5 head of state or government, or the top role of a major institution.
04Public standing5 of 5: High confidence68% approval among Vermont voters, Morning Consult senator approval tracker, surveys July-September 2025 (page updated 25 Jan 2026).^[5]Public approval or favourability where it was measured: 1 under 20%, 3 35 to 50%, 5 over 65%.
05HealthNo evidence: Documented health where an examination or disclosure exists: 5 no documented concern, 1 a serious documented condition.
06MisconductNo evidence: The documented legal and ethics record within the phase, as in the misconduct meter: 0 none documented, 1 only matters resolved in their favour, 2 an open matter, 3 one finding, 4 two or three, 5 four or more. More is more documented misconduct.
07Social goodNo evidence: Assessed effects of what they did in the phase on health, safety, education, rights and the environment, from official statistics or peer-reviewed evidence: 0 clearly harmful, 2.5 mixed, 5 clearly beneficial.
08Economic goodNo evidence: Assessed effects of what they did in the phase on efficiency, growth and fiscal sustainability, from CBO and peer-reviewed evidence, as in the good-for-society reading: 0 clearly harmful, 2.5 mixed, 5 clearly beneficial.