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Bernie Sanders has exited the race to become the next President of the United States, paving the way for former vice president Joe Biden to be the Democratic nominee and face Republican President Donald Trump in the November 3 election.
Key Points:
- Bernie Sanders has dropped out of the 2020 US Presidential Election race
- The Democrat announced his decision on a livestream from his home, saying "The path toward victory is virtually impossible"
- Joe Biden will now be the Democratic candidate to stand against current president Donald Trump
The 78-year-old US senator from Vermont, a democratic socialist whose progressive agenda pulled the party sharply to the left, shot to an early lead in the Democratic race but he faded quickly after losing South Carolina in late February as moderate Democrats consolidated their support behind Biden.
Mr Sanders said his decision to end his campaign was not an easy one.
"Please know that I do not make this decision lightly," Mr Sanders said in a livestreamed speech to supporters.
"If I believe we had a feasible path to the nomination I would continue, but I know that it's just not there."
"I have concluded that this battle for the Democratic nomination will not be successful. And so today, I am announcing the suspension of my campaign."
The departure of Mr Sanders, the last remaining rival to Mr Biden, sets up a race between the 77-year-old former vice president and Trump, 73, who is seeking a second four-year term in office.
Though Mr Sanders said he fully supports Mr Biden as the nominee, he added he would remain on the ballots in remaining primaries and collect electoral delegates to influence the party platform at the nominating convention.
"It was not long ago that people considered these ideas radical and fringe. They're now widely supported," he said, describing the touchstones of his political ideology, such as universal healthcare and redistributing income.
"My run for president has never been about me. As a president, I believed I could accelerate and institutionalise these ideas."
Biden and Trump respond
Mr Biden's campaign swiftly issued a statement addressing Mr Sanders' move, affirming that the de facto nominee shares the Senators' desire to work together.
"Bernie has done something rare in politics. He hasn't just run a political campaign; he's created a movement," the statement read.
"And make no mistake about it, I believe it's a movement that is as powerful today as it was yesterday. That's a good thing for our nation and our future."
Mr Biden had a 300-delegate lead over Mr Sanders, leaving him just 700 shy of the 1991 total needed to clinch the nomination.
Though most of the remaining primaries had been postponed due to coronavirus, Mr Sanders was not favoured to win them.
Mr Biden, who beat out 28 other candidates, will be officially named the nominee at the Democratic Nominating Convention, which has been postponed to August 17.
While Mr Biden responded so did Mr Trump and he implored disillusioned Democrats to support him, taking a quick-fire shot at the Democratic Party on Twitter.
"This ended just like the Democrats & the DNC wanted, same as the Crooked Hillary fiasco. The Bernie people should come to the Republican Party, TRADE!," President Trump wrote.
Many of Mr Sanders' policy positions have become part of the mainstream Democratic Party debate, including his Medicare for All proposal that would create a government-run healthcare system to replace the current blend of private medical insurance and public programs.
He also advocated a $15 minimum wage, tuition-free public colleges and higher taxes on the wealthy.
ABC/Reuters
Topics: government-and-politics, world-politics, us-elections, united-states
First posted