After Hillary Clinton’s surprise defeat in last week’s presidential election, many within the Democratic party considered how different the situation might have been if Bernie Sanders had been the party’s nominee. Whilst the prospect can only ever be a pipe dream, it still puts Bernie Sanders in a stronger position than he has ever been. With the Democratic party establishment in turmoil and an energized base looking for a new leader, here’s how Bernie Sanders could shape the future of the Democrats.

A New Chair: Keith Ellison

The Democratic party’s chair was always expected to be picked by Hillary Clinton when she was in the White House. However, Clinton falling short at the final hurdle has also cast a doubt over who will lead the party through the Trump years. According to Politico, many within the party, including Bernie Sanders, are turning to Keith Ellison. The 53-year-old five-term House member has already broken new ground as the first Muslim elected to Congress, which would firmly place the Democrats in opposition to President-elect Trump’s anti-Muslim policy.

Reid backs Rep. Keith Ellison for DNC chair: Dems need "new thinking" https://t.co/Lg5uHXgt0C pic.twitter.com/1nJl5RpdkV — Talking Points Memo (@TPM) November 14, 2016

Ellison is seen as the perfect figure to unify both the party’s establishment and base – which have been drifting apart since Sanders lost the nomination. He has the support of key Democrats on the Hill, including Elizabeth Warren and Harry Reid, whilst a petition supporting his candidacy has already gained more than 530,000 signatures from activists.

However, perhaps most crucially, Ellison has the backing of Bernie Sanders. The once independent senator is still seen by many of the Democratic party’s youthful base as their voice and his backing means a great deal to Keith Ellison. That doesn’t mean Sanders won’t expect something in return, however. Ellison is already seen as a largely progressive force within the party, but the support of progressive champion Bernie Sanders is likely to mean that he’ll have to shift the party in an even more progressive direction.

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Ready to Win in 2020

Whilst many of Bernie Sanders’ 2016 supporters are calling for him to run again in 2020, the prospect looks unlikely as Sanders will be nearing 80 years of age. That being said, the Vermont Senator is expected to play a big role in preparing the party to win in 2020. According to The Guardian, he’ll do that by shaking up how the party is led; giving more power to the activists on the ground and taking control away from the party’s establishment when it comes to selecting their nominee.

If Sanders has the ear of the party’s next chair, he’s likely to ensure that more funding and resources are directed into mobilizing voters at the local level. Sanders has already demonstrated that he believes elections are won by empowering the grass roots, which is a very different strategy to the one taken by the party in Hillary Clinton’s failed election attempt.

Supporters of Bernie Sanders' presidential bid are challenging the Democratic establishment for party control https://t.co/Wp678pHYnY | AP pic.twitter.com/CBvJyYHkZM — POLITICO (@politico) November 13, 2016

Before the 2016 presidential election, Bernie Sanders was a figure largely dismissed by many within the Democratic party’s establishment. However, following Hillary Clinton’s surprise defeat last week, there now appears to be an acceptance within the party that it needs to change. Ahead of 2020, Bernie Sanders is preparing to build a very different Democratic party to the one that lost the presidential election – a Democratic party that listens to its grassroots and provides a very clear opposition to Donald Trump.

Bernie Sanders and his supporters now have the very real opportunity to shape the Democratic party’s future.

[Featured Image by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]