Eighty-two-year-old liberal U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont announced Monday that he is running for re-election, saying American democracy is in question during difficult times for the country and the world.

Sanders, seeking a fourth Senate term, is an independent. He was a Democratic congressman for 16 years and still caucuses with the Democrats.

In an announcement video, he said that in many ways the 2024 election �is the most consequential election in our lifetimes.�

�Will the United States continue to even function as a democracy, or will we move to an authoritarian form of government?� he said in his video message. He questioned whether the country will reverse what he called �the unprecedented level of income and wealth inequality� and if it can create a government that works for all, and a political system not dominated by wealthy campaign contributors.

�I have been, and will be if re-elected, in a strong position to provide the kind of help that Vermonters need in these difficult times,� Sanders said in a review of his positions as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and a member of the Senate Democratic leadership team, as well as a senior member of various other committees.

On a current controversial topic, Sanders, who has been critical of the war in Gaza, said Israel has the right to defend itself against the Oct. 7, �horrific� attack and hostage taking by the terrorist organization Hamas �but it did not and does not have the right to go to war against the entire Palestinian people, which is exactly what it is doing.�

�In my view, U.S. taxpayers should not be providing billions more to the extremist Netanyahu government to continue its devastating war against the Palestinian people,� he said.

(AP)