Bernie Sanders’ brother lost his longshot bid for British Parliament

Political dreams must run in the family. Larry Sanders, older brother to the independent Vermont senator and Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, ran as a member of the Green Party in his district of Oxford West & Abingdon in Thursday's British elections. But the 80-year-old won only 4.4 percent of the vote, and his party won only one seat in British Parliament.

To be fair, the elder Sanders, who moved to England in 1969, had "no realistic chance of winning."

Though separated by an ocean, the Sanders brothers are united in their fight against big political parties and their passion for wide-reaching social issues, from universal healthcare to raising the minimum wage.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

With one Sanders out of the political running, the pressure may be on Bernie to bring home the family's underdog win. Whatever the outcome, Bernie says he wouldn't be where he is today without Larry, who introduced him to many of his progressive ideas. "I owe my brother an enormous amount," he told The Guardian.