Bernie Sanders may be the oldest candidate in the race for the White House at the age of 74, but polls show that the self-described democratic socialist is also the most popular among younger voters.

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Last month, hundreds of cheering Sanders supporters in New York took part in a “March for Bernie”, wending their way from the city’s famed Union Square to Zuccotti Park.

“He wants to really improve the lives of working class and young people – he wants free education – those things resonate with us,” Dan Kroop, one of the event’s organisers, told FRANCE 24.

In a country where many view “socialism” as a dirty word, Sanders’s call for free healthcare, education and an end to income inequality has struck a chord among young voters. According to a recent Gallup poll, he leads his rival in the Democratic primaries, Hillary Clinton, by 27 percentage points among voters aged 18-29.

Even some too young to vote have rallied behind Sanders, like 16-year-old Hannah Zimmerman, who runs the group High Schoolers for Bernie Sanders.

“Bernie Sanders is the only candidate who can really provide for our future. As I have been saying Hillary Clinton is our parents' candidate, and they are going to retire soon,” she told FRANCE 24.

Whether or not Sanders’s candidacy survives past Super Tuesday, the desire for radical change among many young people in the United States is palpable.

To watch FRANCE 24's full report, click on the video player above.

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