The longest-serving independent member of Congress in U.S. history is set to announce his plans to seek the Democratic nomination for president. Vermont Public Radio reports Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will make a short statement Thursday, then kickoff his campaign in the coming weeks. He is expected to continue his focus on income inequality, climate change (see his interview above) and opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

Sen. Sanders will become the only official party challenger competing against former secretary of state, senator and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In 2014, he joined us to discuss how the impact of the Citizens United ruling that allows corporations to make unlimited donations to political campaigns, and said “I fear that we may be on the verge of becoming an oligarchic form of society where a handful of billionaires control not just the economy, but the political life of this country. And that’s just something we’re going to have wrestle with.”

Click here to see all of Sen. Sanders’ interviews on Democracy Now!.