Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders announced he is suspending his 2020 presidential campaign on Wednesday. Sanders, a self-proclaimed Democratic socialist who ran a campaign championing the working class, conceded to former Vice President Joe Biden. Biden, who currently holds a delegate lead of nearly 300, is now the presumptive Democratic nominee.
In a virtual news conference, Sanders thanked his supporters and explained his decision to end the campaign. “I cannot in good conscience continue to mount a campaign that cannot win and which would interfere with the important work required of all of us in this difficult hour,” he said.
Joe Biden reacted to the news in a statement posted to Medium, where he thanked Sanders for a hard fought race and acknowledged the influence of his campaign. “He hasn’t just run a political campaign; he’s created a movement. 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,” Biden said of the Sanders campaign.
USC Center for the Political Future co-director Bob Shrum believes Sanders’ decision to drop out was well-timed and gives the Democratic party more time to coalesce around Biden as the candidate to defeat Trump. “[Sanders] recognized reality. I think he genuinely wants Trump out of office. He genuinely wants big changes in America. He won't get everything he wants if Biden is elected, but he’ll do pretty well, and the country will be a lot better off as a result of that,” said Shrum.
Shrum said the Biden campaign must “be respectful and listen to [Sanders’ supporters and] find places where [they] can agree” to bring his supporters over to Biden’s side.
Sophomore Tommy Nguyen is the president of the Unruh Associates, a bipartisan political organization on campus. He has supported Biden since Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the race in early March, and thinks Biden can win over support of the Sanders camp. “He’s going to have to stray a little bit away from his decades of establishment style and really ignite some dynamism and energy,” he said.
Students who supported Sanders expressed their disappointment in his decision to exit the race. Andrew Perrea, a senior studying music industry said, “It's really hard to see him go, especially at such a perilous time for our country, but I'm proud of the work he's been doing in the Senate and how he adapted his campaign recently to address the coronavirus.”
Perrea expressed worry about Biden’s ability to bring together the party. “I'm not optimistic that Biden will be able to unite the Democratic Party in any meaningful way right now. The only reason I'll consider voting for him at this point is to get Donald Trump out of office,” he said. He believes that Biden fails to present policy that can excite and invigorate a frustrated voter base.
In his statement, Biden asked for support from Sanders’ voters. “I understand the urgency of what it is we have to get done in this country. I hope you will join us. You are more than welcome. You’re needed,” he said.
While Sanders acknowledged Biden’s victory, he explained he would continue to stay on the ballot in upcoming primaries. “We should still work to assemble as many delegates as possible at the Democratic convention where we will be able to exert significant influence over the party platform and other functions,” Sanders said, encouraging his supporters to continue to cast ballots in his favor. If Sanders were to secure a large number of delegates, he could still exert significant leverage over platform policies at the convention through minority platform planks.
Shrum believes Biden will be responsive to Sanders and his demands. “I don’t think Biden is complacent in the way that I think Hillary was complacent,” he said.
While some Sanders supporters are unsure of Biden’s ability to beat Trump in the November general election, Biden supporters believe that unity is the most important thing, especially amidst the COVID-19 crisis.
“At the end of the day, I think Democrats have in total one goal, and that is to take down Donald Trump,” said Nguyen, “and right now, the Democratic Party needs to unite.”