For most of the 19th century, Thomas Jefferson was the political hero of the Democratic Party, as well as Andrew Jackson, who considered himself the heir of Jefferson. James K Polk was compared to Jackson, earning the nickname Little Hickory or Young Hickory (Jackson was Old Hickory). Populists and progressives, like William Jennings Bryan (who never became president) and Woodrow Wilson around the turn of the century still idolized Jefferson and Jackson. After the New Deal Franklin D Roosevelt would cast his shadow over the party's future leaders, whether it was being a faithful disciple of FDR like Lyndon B Johnson laying out the Great Society or repudiating FDR's legacy like Bill Clinton proclaiming "the era of big government is over". Searching for "the next FDR" is something that Democrats have been doing since FDR died. Time Magazine had a cover with Barack Obama photoshopped into an iconic photo of FDR around the time of his first inauguration. Hillary Clinton began the 2016 campaign with a speech on Roosevelt Island in New York City with references to the Four Freedoms. I think if there is a real heir to FDR it was LBJ, but while Jefferson and Jackson idolization and comparisons have faded, no modern Democratic president can get out of FDR's shadow. Generally that includes liberals comparing Democratic leaders negatively to FDR. Bernie Sanders is part of the perennial search for a more liberal Democrat.
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