Editing Grassroots (section)

=== Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign ===
{{main|Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign}}
The junior United States senator and former Representative from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, formally announced his 2016 presidential campaign on May 26, 2015, on the foundation of reversing "obscene levels" of income and wealth inequality.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Montpelier |first1=Associated Press in |title=Bernie Sanders confirms presidential run and damns America's inequities |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/30/bernie-sanders-confirms-presidential-run-and-damns-americas-inequities |work=The Guardian |date=30 April 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2015/05/26/berniesanders/27955299/|title=VIDEO: Bernie Sanders announces run for president|newspaper=Burlington Free Press|access-date=2016-10-26}}</ref> Sanders stated that he would run an issue-oriented and positive campaign, focusing his efforts on getting corporate money out of politics, raising taxes on the wealthy, guaranteeing tuition-free higher education, incorporating a single-payer healthcare system, fighting against climate change and other key issues.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://berniesanders.com/issues/|title=Issues - Bernie Sanders|website=Bernie Sanders|language=en-US|access-date=2016-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122021035/https://berniesanders.com/issues/|archive-date=November 22, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/04/03/sanders_people_ask_me_to_go_after_hillary_clinton_for_fbi_investigation_and_foundation_money_but_i_wont.html|title=Sanders: People Ask Me To Go After Clinton For FBI Investigation And Foundation Money, But I Won't|website=www.realclearpolitics.com|access-date=2016-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161120151926/http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/04/03/sanders_people_ask_me_to_go_after_hillary_clinton_for_fbi_investigation_and_foundation_money_but_i_wont.html|archive-date=November 20, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

Those inspired by Sanders were able to elevate the campaign to challenge the Democratic front-runner, former Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton]], before ultimately losing.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2016 Election Center |url=https://www.cnn.com/election/2016/primaries |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> Sanders used his grassroots campaign to receive more than 7 million individual contributions averaging $27, effectively breaking [[Barack Obama|Barack Obama's]] previous individual contribution record in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-hanley/bernie-sanders-has-alread_b_9671406.html|title=Bernie Sanders Received More Individual Campaign Contributions Than Obama's Entire 2008 Campaign|last1=S|first1=Brian Hanley Political reporter covering the Bernie|last2=Campaign|first2=Ers|date=2016-04-12|website=The Huffington Post|access-date=2016-11-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161120151429/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-hanley/bernie-sanders-has-alread_b_9671406.html|archive-date=November 20, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>