Bernie Sanders Drops out of 2020 Presidential Race, Joe Biden Claims Stake as Democratic Frontrunner
Sanders follows Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Andrew Yang, the most recent Democratic candidates to end their bids for the White House.
Bernie Sanders, who garnered a fanbase and energetic momentum directly from millennials has dropped out of the 2020 presidential race.
His most recent endorsement from John Lewis weighed heavily but it wasn’t enough to save Sanders from the looming figure, former Vice President Joe Biden. Wednesday morning, the independent Vermont senator announced he’d ended his campaign.
NBC reports he barely missed first place in Iowa ahead of his recent wins in New Hampshire and Nevada. Additionally, he’d continuously raked in millions in small-dollar donations. Undoubtedly, Bernie was a front-runner at the top of 2020 for the candidacy. Notably, an endorsement from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York in October carried the momentum of his campaign for quite some time.
Five years ago in 2015 Sen. Sanders first set his eyes on the White House. He battled against Hillary Clinton and captured the attention of progressives and most importantly young Americans who would become the crux of his supporters. With Sanders out of the race, Biden now rises to the occasion and will be the face of the Democratic party and is set to be the nominee who will be up against Donald Trump.
“Medicare For All” was a rallying cry for Sanders, he popularized this term and took these ideas with him years ago and even throughout his recent campaign. As time progressed, NBC notes that other candidates built their platforms around similar narratives.
In a recent New York Times report, it’s made clear that one of his major issues was failing to resonate with African American voters who are highly important within the Democratic party. Their loyalty to Biden was on full display in the South as the former Vice President reigned on Super Tuesday in Alabama, the Carolinas, Mississippi and Virginia. Biden won 10 of 14 states on Super Tuesday.
A lack of connection between Sanders and women voters also became apparent throughout his campaign. His male supporters dubbed the “Bernie Bros” have been known to attack women on social media, according to NBC.
Despite his liberal inclinations including “Medicare For All” and a promise to cancel all student loans, Sen. Sanders still was unable to garner nationwide support. His decision to suspend his presidential campaign could have been in the works recently. The New York Times reports aids had come to believe it was time for him to end his run.