Senator Bernie Sanders is a divisive underdog, who has taken way more than his predicted share of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s voters in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. Encouraging a “political revolution,” Sanders unapologetically refers to himself as a “democratic socialist,” and has some of the most radical ideas of any serious Democratic candidate in American history.

When he announced his bid for the Democratic nomination in May 2015, I had no idea who he was. The country didn’t know who Bernie Sanders was. By January 2016, however, he was polling at 40 percent. Support for Sanders is pouring in because of his leftist ideology and his Robin Hood-esque ideas of diminishing the wealth of the rich to aid the poor.

Sanders promises to impose harsher taxes on big business and Wall Street, and wants to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour.  

“Anyone who works forty hours a week should not be living in poverty,” Sanders said.

Sanders also aims to make public colleges and universities free in order to close the education gap. Sanders says he is running as a representative of all Americans, not just the rich and powerful.

In fact, Sanders is so committed to the people, that he refuses to have a “super PAC,” and his entire campaign has been built on donations averaging about $25. Sanders abhors the corruption he sees in politics, and is a fierce opponent of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, which says that any non-profit organization can spend as much money as they please in order to get the candidate of their choice in office. Sanders refuses to represent the interests of the billionaire class.

Sanders has also established himself as a champion of civil rights, supporting marriage equality, women’s rights, racial justice and the right to choose. Sanders has had an extensive career fighting for social justice, even marching with Martin Luther King in the 1960s. He opposed anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act and “don’t ask don’t tell” policies well before other Democrats announced their support for gay rights.

Sanders divides the Democratic party, running a rebellious grassroots campaign that began as nothing more than an anti-establishment statement. Now, with more support than he ever expected, Sanders has a stage to spread his message.

Sanders pledges to fight for the little guy. He is not going to let the interests of the rich override those of the poor, and he is not going to let the minority dictate how the majority live their lives. If nothing else, he has made Democrats demand the same of Clinton.