Bernie Sanders (Joan of What?)

Bernard Sanders (born 8 September 1941) is a Californian politician currently serving as the 46th. He has been a Member of the representing the division of  since 1992. A member of the, Sanders was until 2015 an independent, and was the longest-serving independent in parliamentary history. As an independent, Sanders caucused with the Liberals, enabling his appointment to cabinet positions and at times giving Liberals a majority.

After settling in in 1968, Sanders ran unsuccessful third-party political campaigns in the early to mid-1970s. As an independent, he was elected Mayor of Tiwana &mdash; the state's most populous city &mdash; in 1981, by a margin of ten votes. He was re-elected to the mayoralty three times. He was elected in to represent the northern Cochimian division of Tiwana in the Californian House of Representatives, where he co-founded the Parliamentary Progressive Caucus in 1992.

Through his 24 years as a representative, Sanders has served in a number of Liberal governments and opposition shadow cabinets. During the chancellorship of, Sanders was appointed as Minister for the Interior; also appointed Sanders as his second Minister for Veterans' Affairs. Even during his tenures in Liberal governments, Sanders insisted on remaining independent, and continued to be a vocal critic of the Liberals when necessary. During the, Sanders was elected as a member, and was a strong proponent for a Californian republic.

On 30 April 2014, after Barack Obama announced that he would not contest the, Sanders announced that he would contest the Liberal leadership. Initially considered a long shot, he went on to win the July leadership election against front-runner. His campaign was noted for its supporters' enthusiasm, as well as for his rejection of large donations from corporations and the financial industry. In November, Sanders led the Liberal Party to victory, and took office as Liberal leader and the 46th Chancellor on 3 January 2016.

The has been described as one of the most progressive Californian administrations in decades, introducing legislation to improve working conditions for Californian families, strengthen abortion rights, raise taxes on the wealthy, and commit to environmental protection, as well as for a universal healthcare system and public funding for university students.