Bernie Sanders, a potential Democratic candidate in the upcoming 2016 U.S. presidential election, turned heads in the past months with his left-sided notions and “Feel the Bern” campaign slogan.

Sanders, a self-described socialist, previous mayor, house representative and senator, is now vying for the Democratic presidential nomination. According to the latest Huffington Post Poll, Sanders is nationally polled at 26 percent, 18 percent behind the leading candidate, Hillary Clinton.

Sanders was born on September 8, 1941 in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in a Jewish household, raised by parents who immigrated from Poland. His family struggled, consistently hovering in the lower middle class.

Due to the exposure of financial struggles within his family, Sanders was in tune to the desperate state of the economic gap in America at a young age. “I saw unfairness. That was the major inspiration in my politics,” Sanders told The Guardian.

Sanders finished college at University of Chicago in 1964 and moved to a remote farm in Israel. He later settled in Vermont and worked various jobs including freelance writing and film making, all the while his interest for politics grew.

Sanders first emerged as a politician in 1981 when he was elected mayor of Burlington, Vermont by a very narrow margin of 12 votes, and continued to be reelected 3 times.

While in office, Sanders faced business owners within the community who sought out a local industrial area in hopes to turn it into a luxury resort. Sanders opposed, proposing the idea of a “people’s waterfront” which entailed affordable housing, open areas for recreation and available space for commercial retailers instead.

Sanders faced many hurdles during the process of trying to pass this project, but due to his persistence he eventually won. “It was Bernie who set the tone that the waterfront wasn’t for sale,” said Michael Monte, a member of Sanders’ staff.

In 2006, Sanders ran for Senate against Richard Tarrant, a Republican businessman. Although Tarrant had $7 million in funding from his own earnings, a significant amount more than Sanders, Sanders proceeded to defeat Tarrant in the election.

Sanders stayed active during his time in the Senate. A notable moment showcasing his passion for political justice occurred in 2010 when the senator partook in an 8 hour long filibuster against the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.

On April 15^th, Sanders officially declared his run for presidency. Considering the difficulties of running as an independent, he ultimately switched to the democratic party. “It made a lot more sense for me to work within the Democratic primary system where it’s much easier to get on the ballot and have a chance to debate the other candidates,” Sanders told USA Today.

Overall, Sanders’ platforms are based upon an equitable focused ideology. His platforms include state administered health care, affordable education, decreasing the pay gap between men and women, and a larger government influence on Wall Street. With regards to social issues he vocalizes his liberal stance, supporting same sex marriage and pro-choice.

Sanders will participate in the upcoming Democratic Presidential Debate on October 13th on CNN.