Bernie Sanders Tops Time’s Poll for Person of the Year
Bernie Sanders protesting the furlough of federal workers, October 2013 Image by Getty Images
Readers of Time magazine chose Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders as Person of the Year, according to a poll by the magazine.
Sanders, a Vermont senator who is Jewish, self-identifies as a Democratic socialist and is challenging former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination. Sanders’ polling numbers have exceeded expectations, but he still trails Clinton by a wide margin.
Sanders easily outpaced his rivals in the Time survey, receiving more than 10 percent of the vote, with the runner-up, Pakistani girls’ education activist Malala Yousafzai, at 5.2 percent. President Barack Obama, Pope Francis and talk-show host Stephen Colbert rounded out the top five vote-getters. Francis won the honor in 2013.
A presidential candidate has never earned the distinction prior to winning the election. In the poll, Clinton and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump each received less than 2 percent of the vote. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received 1 percent.
Time will reveal its Person of the Year on Wednesday.
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