Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at a rally in Omaha, Nebraska. AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall Sen. Bernie Sanders on Sunday congratulated the people of France for voting against electing far-right leader Marine Le Pen as president.

"Congratulations to the people of France who today, by an overwhelming vote, rejected racism and xenophobia," Sanders, the former US Democratic presidential candidate, wrote in a tweet.

Centrist Emmanuel Macron bested Le Pen in Sunday's runoff election with more than 60% of the vote.

Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Front, argued for vastly curtailing immigration and services for immigrants, as well as potentially withdrawing from international organizations and alliances like the European Union and NATO. Many had compared her rise to that of US President Donald Trump and other populist movements across Europe.

She rose to power promising to take a hardline stance on religious extremism, attempting to link terrorism and Islam in the minds of voters.

An independent candidate who served as France's economy minister, Macron pitched himself as an political outsider on the center-left, promoting strong ties to the European Union, lower corporate tax rates, and increased investment in job training, renewable energy, and infrastructure.