Sanders Exits 2020 Race

Last week, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders withdrew from the 2020 presidential primary. This leaves former vice president Joe Biden as the presumptive Democratic nominee. Here, Election Central takes a look at the trajectory of Senator Sanders’ campaign, from 2016 the present day, and how a promising start turned to a disappointing 2020 finish.

A Contentious Defeat

Bernie Sanders, now 77, first entered the political limelight during the 2016 presidential campaign, when he ran against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. His ultimate loss to Clinton was a bitter one, with many of his supporters refusing to accept Clinton as the nominee and blaming Democratic Party corruption and nepotism for Sanders’ defeat. Sanders continued to build his base before declaring his intention to make a second run for the presidency in 2020.

Second Time is the Charm?

This time around, Sanders seemed to be gathering even more momentum. Despite facing the largest field of candidates in history, Sanders not only held his own but inched his way into the lead, virtually tying with Mayor Pete Buttigieg for a first-place finish in the influential Iowa caucuses. He then went on to win both the New Hampshire and Nevada primaries. For several weeks, it looked like Sanders was on track to clinch the nomination.

However, Joe Biden’s victory in the South Carolina primary–the first primary with a significant percentage of African American voters–marked the turning point in the contest. From there, Biden’s campaign snowballed, and he won several critical states by a large margin. Each win made it less and less possible that Sanders would be able to gather the delegate votes he needed for the nomination.

What Were the Challenges?

From the beginning, many Democrats have had a problem with the fact that Sanders himself refused to identify as a Democrat until seeking the nomination; rather, he considers himself to be a democratic socialist. While some Democrats worried that his agenda was too liberal to make him a viable presidential candidate, others refused to support a candidate for the Democratic ticket who they believed was not a “real” Democrat in the first place.

But the final blow was the coronavirus pandemic, which made it impossible for Sanders to campaign or fundraise in person. In his speech withdrawing from the campaign, Sanders made it clear that he was concerned that continuing to fight for the nomination was taking away important money and resources from the larger and more critical fight against Trump in November.

The Legacy of Bernie Sanders

Sanders was the first candidate to champion causes such as universal health care and free college education. Once upon a time, the majority of the Democratic Party viewed these policies as too far left. But by 2020, most of the Democratic nominees agreed that they supported these ideas. In this way, Sanders is responsible for steering the party in a more liberal direction.

What Happens Next?

With all other candidates out of the race, Joe Biden is now the presumptive nominee. However, Sanders’ name will remain on the ballot in states that haven’t had their primaries yet. Sanders hopes to pick up some delegates in the remaining state contests and to use this influence to help shape the official Democratic Party platform that is announced later this summer.

The Sanders campaign has also stated that Biden is willing to work with him on issues such as health care and student loans. Biden also reached out to Sanders supporters to say that he understands the importance of their message and their political hopes.

What Do You Think? In your opinion, if the coronavirus pandemic hadn’t happened, would Biden or Sanders have been the Democratic nominee? Why?