While Jane O'Meara Sanders has supported her husband's political ambition throughout their 27-year marriage, she was reluctant to embark on this presidential run. She said they agonized for weeks about the decision. "We had been back and forth, back and forth," she said. "I know how ugly politics can be. And our grandchildren, we want to spend some time with them and our kids."
As the Sanders debated their future on April 18 over breakfast at a South Burlington Denny's, a disabled veteran approached their table to thank the senator for the help his office provided in securing benefits. Sanders' eyes welled with tears as she recalled what the man said next: "You've changed my life and if you run for president, I think that would be the best thing for the country." As the man left, she remembered saying to her husband, "Okay, I think you have to do it."