The son of Bernie Sanders, the Jewish senator who challenged Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, is following his father into politics.

Levi Sanders announced on Monday that he is running for Congress in New Hampshire.

“After much thought and consultation with my family, friends, and the people of New Hampshire, I am excited to announce today that I am running for Congress in New Hampshire's 1st District,” Levi Sanders said in a statement on Monday.

He said the campaign issues he would focus on would include universal healthcare, university tuition without fees and a higher minimum wage.

His father has been a senator in the neighbouring state of Vermont since 2007.

The elder Mr Sanders told WMUR, a local television station, that he was “very proud of Levi's commitment to public service and his years of work on behalf of low income and working people.”

“Levi will be running his own campaign, in his own way, with his own ideas,” he continued.

“The decision as to who to vote for will be determined by the people of New Hampshire's first district, and nobody else.”

Bernie Sanders ran a strong challenge during the 2016 primaries against Mrs Clinton, who had long been regarded as the favourite for the Democratic Party's nomination.

Mrs Clinton prevailed but lost to Republican candidate Donald Trump in November's presidential election.

Levi Sanders is not the only member of the family to draw inspiration from Bernie Sanders' political ascent: his step-daughter, Carina Driscoll, has announced plans to run for mayor of the city of Burlington, a post her stepfather once held.