Sanders 30 Nisan 2015'te [[Demokratik Parti (Amerika Birleşik Devletleri)|Demokratik Parti]]'nin başkan adayı olmak istediğini [[Amerikan Kongre Binası]]nda duyurdu.<ref name="kane2015">{{cite web |last1=Kane |first1=Paul |last2=Rucker |first2=Philip |date=30 Nisan 2015 |title=An unlikely contender, Sanders takes on 'billionaire class' in 2016 bid |work=[[The Washington Post]] |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sanders-takes-on-billionaire-class-in-launching-2016-bid-against-clinton/2015/04/30/4849fe32-ef3a-11e4-a55f-38924fca94f9_story.html |accessdate=30 Nisan 2015}}</ref><ref name="NYT-20150429"/><ref name="Cogan">{{cite news |last=Rappeport |first=Alan |date=April 29, 2015 |title=Bernie Sanders Announces He Is Running for President |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/30/us/politics/bernie-sanders-campaign-for-president.html |accessdate=April 30, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Cogan">{{cite web |last=Cogan |first=Marin |date=30 Nisan 2015 |title=Daily Intelligencer: Bernie Sanders Is Officially Running for President – That Doesn't Mean You Can Ask Him About Hillary Clinton |work=[[New York (dergi)|New York]] |url=http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/04/sanders-is-running-just-dont-say-hillary.html |accessdate=18 Temmuz 2015}}</ref> Kampanya resmi olarak 26 Mayıs'ta Burlington'da başladı.<ref name="NYT-20150429">{{cite news |last=Rappeport |first=Alan |date=29 Nisan 2015 |title=Bernie Sanders Announces He Is Running for President |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/30/us/politics/bernie-sanders-campaign-for-president.html |accessdate=30 Nisan 2015}}</ref> Aynı zamanda seçimdeki tek [[Musevi]] adaydır.<ref>http://www.salom.com.tr/haber-94998-abd_baskanligina_yahudi_aday.html</ref> Kampanyası sırasında, George Mason Üniversitesi’nde [[Müslüman]] bir genç kıza da sarılarak, Müslümanlara yönelik ayrımcılığın kökünü kazıyacağını söylemiştir.<ref>http://www.salom.com.tr/haber-96930-yahudi_abd_baskan_adayi_musluman_ogrenciye_sarildi_ve_irkcilikla_mucadele_edecegini_belirtti.html</ref>
