Bernie Sanders is suspending his campaign for the Democratic nomination for president. However, his name will still appear on the ballot in the remaining primaries in order to collect delegates. Sanders said Wednesday that he does not have a viable path to the nomination.
Today I am suspending my campaign. But while the campaign ends, the struggle for justice continues on. https://t.co/MYc7kt2b16
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) April 8, 2020
His leaving the race sets a clear path for former Vice President Joe Biden to challenge President Trump in the fall. Sanders had been the front-runner in the race after victories in Nevada and New Hampshire. However, Biden’s huge win in South Carolina changed the race. Still, Sanders took weeks to make the decision to drop out even though his path to victory was very narrow. Sanders who performed well in early states and saw the race’s momentum shift dramatically after a commanding victory by Biden in the South Carolina primary back in February. From there Sander’s campaign never really recovered, seeing the Democratic party establishment line up behind Biden, and the delegate deficit widen after Super Tuesday and beyond. Sanders had been a favorite with young voters and claimed during the campaign that he alone could defeat the President because of all the new voters that would turn out for him. However, those new voters never materialized during the primaries. Sanders calls himself a Democratic-Socialist. Biden and others argued that anyone calling themselves a socialist would not be able to defeat Trump in a general election.