Sen. Bernie Sanders Drops Out Of 2020 Presidential Race

The Vermont senator dropping out of the race means the presumptive Democratic nominee is former VP Joe Biden.

Sen. Bernie Sanders announced Wednesday he's ending his bid for the presidency, saying his "path toward victory is virtually impossible." The Vermont senator dropping out of the race means the presumptive Democratic nominee is former Vice President Joe Biden, who Sanders called "a very decent man" who he will "work with to move our progressive ideas forward."

Watch his full statement here:

"I wish I could give you better news, but I think you know the truth," Sanders said to his supporters, calling it a difficult and painful decision to drop out. "While we are winning the ideological battle and the support of so many young people and working people throughout the country, I have concluded that this battle for the Democratic nomination will not be successful."

Sanders has had significant wins among young voters, but he fell short of many primary wins against Biden in several states after all the other major candidates dropped out. As of Wednesday morning, Biden had earned 1,217 delegates to Sanders' 914. A nominee needs 1,991 delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination.

Still, Sanders is widely credited with moving many progressive policy ideas forward, which he mentioned in his statement thanking supporters and donors to his campaign.

"We have transformed American consciousness to what kind of country we can become," Sanders said, listing out some of the key planks of his platform: a $15/hour minimum wage, guaranteeing health care as a right, transitioning away from fossil fuels, and making higher education "available to all regardless of income."

"It was not so long ago that people considered these ideas radical and fringe," he said. "Now, they are mainstream, and already being implemented in cities and states across the country. That is what we have accomplished together."

Biden acknowledged this progress in his response to Sanders' announcement.

In a lengthy statement about Sanders posted to Medium, Biden said, "Senator Sanders and his supporters have changed the dialogue in America. Issues which had been given little attention — or little hope of ever passing — are now at the center of the political debate. Income inequality, universal health care, climate change, free college, relieving students from the crushing debt of student loans." Biden also acknowledged that Sanders' campaign has been especially "inspiring and energizing" for young voters.

Twenty-two states and a handful of U.S. territories are still scheduled to hold primary contests. Several of them were postponed from March and April to later in June due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. On this note, Sanders said he will remain on the ballot in those contests, and "continue to gather delegates" (as some will still vote for him even after he's dropped out).

While Sanders will use those earned delegates as a way to influence Biden to incorporate certain policy ideas into the official 2020 Democratic Party platform, he did note that that "Biden will be the nominee."

He also said, "Together, we will go on to defeat Donald Trump, the most dangerous president in modern American history."

Sanders is dropping out of the race earlier this cycle than he did in 2016. When he ran against Hillary Clinton, Sanders did not drop out until well after his campaign was mathematically viable — not until July, when the 2016 Democratic National Convention was taking place. He was criticized for waiting to endorse Clinton, accused of furthering divisions between his and her supporters.

It seems this year he is trying to avoid that. "Please stay in this fight with me," he said to his supporters as he finished his speech today. "Let us go forward together. The struggle continues. Thank you all very much."

Watch our 20 Questions with Sen. Sanders below, filmed earlier in the 2020 campaign: