Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders announced his bid for re-election Monday, seeking to secure his fourth term in the U.S. Senate.

The 82-year-old Independent previously served 16 years as a Democrat in the House of Representatives. Prior to that, Sanders was Mayor of Burlington from 1981-1989.

In 2007, he was elected to the U.S. Senate.

"I have been and will be, if reelected, in a strong position to provide the kind of help the Vermonters need in these difficult times," Sanders said in his announcement video. "We have made important progress addressing some serious, serious challenges."

Touting victories in his state's healthcare, his fight to lower the cost of prescription drugs, and working to cancel millions of dollars in student debt, Sanders said his reelection is crucial to the well-being of Vermonters and the nation.

"I am proud of my 100% lifetime voting record in defense of women's rights and the absolute need for women to control their own bodies," he said. "And I'm proud of Vermont for becoming the first state to enshrine abortion rights in our Constitution. But that is not enough. We must codify Roe v. Wade into national law and do everything possible to oppose the well-funded, right-wing efforts to roll back the gains that women have achieved after decades of struggle. No more second-class citizenship for the women of Vermont or America."

He also criticized President Joe Biden's handling of the war in Gaza, stating he supports its ending and the cutting off of funding to "the extremist Netanyahu government."

Sanders called the upcoming 2024 elections the "most consequential elections in our lifetime."

"Will the United States continue to even function as a democracy, or will we move to an authoritarian form of government? Will we reverse the unprecedented level of income and wealth inequality that now exists or will we continue to see billionaires get richer, while working families struggle to put food on the table?" he questioned.

Sanders previously sought the Democratic nomination in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. In 2023, he endorsed Biden's reelection.