The University of New England announced Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will deliver the University’s 2024 Commencement address on Saturday, May 18.

UNE’s 189th Commencement Ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.

“Senator Sanders is an important part of the American political landscape,” said UNE President James Herbert, who was invited by Sanders last February to testify before a U.S. Senate subcommittee about the health care workforce shortage. “He is a tireless advocate for expanding health care access, especially to underserved populations. As Maine’s only medical school with a deep commitment to that very cause, we are honored to have him as our commencement speaker this year.”

 Sanders is serving his third term in the Senate after winning reelection in 2018. He was a major candidate in the two Democratic presidential nominations, coming in second in both the 2016 and 2020 Democratic primaries. Combined with his 16 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Sanders is the longest-serving independent member of Congress in U.S. history.

The Almanac of American Politics calls Sanders a “practical and successful legislator.” Throughout his career, he has focused on bolstering the American middle class and narrowing the income and wealth gaps in the United States.