BERNIE SANDERS IS ending his second bid for the presidency, the campaign staff was informed on a conference call Wednesday morning, according to campaign sources.
Sanders’s departure from the race comes a day after the state of Wisconsin went forward with a controversial in-person election, which Sanders had called to be postponed. The Vermont senator was momentarily the frontrunner for the nomination, following a popular-vote win in Iowa, a win in New Hampshire, and a decisive victory in Nevada. His chances fell apart in South Carolina, where the dean of the state party, Rep. Jim Clyburn, gave an impassioned endorsement to former Vice President Joe Biden. A race that had been narrowing turned into a blowout.
Party moderates then coalesced around Biden, who soared in the polls, pulling off the biggest comeback in the shortest amount of time, measured by a swing in the polls, since the modern primary process began in 1972. Biden won a majority of states on Super Tuesday and continued racking up victories throughout March.
Homeowner Finds Weird Rocks in Yard, Begins Digging and Uncovers Part of Giant Prehistoric Mouth
Joe Manchin calls Democratic Party ‘toxic,’ blames progressives
Kay Granger’s status under scrutiny after missing out on vital votes
One of Biden’s ‘Non-Violent’ Pardons Turns Out to Be Voodoo-Practicing Triple-Murderer
Trump set to deliver first rally-styled speech since decisive election win: ‘Biggest conservative movement’
Report: New Revelation About Ashli Babbitt’s Killer – Was on Secret DC Blacklist
Company President Stabbed in Middle of Meeting, Police Acknowledge Dark Possibility
Quantum Physics and the Bible
Viewers Captivated by Footage of Younger Barron Trump on Soccer Field, Towering Over Other Players
Texas Lyft driver says rider slashed his throat, attempted to choke him, stole his car
The biggest Supreme Court decisions of 2024: From presidential immunity to overturning the Chevron doctrine
Florida driver hits student with her truck, covers license plate before fleeing, deputies say
US agriculture primed to be next frontier in cybersecurity in new year, experts, lawmakers say
Why Nevada’s Asian American population embraced Trump
Body found in same Austin lake where 6 other deceased individuals were found in 2024
Some in Sanders’s inner circle — including, most vocally, Our Revolution Chair and labor leader Larry Cohen — urged Sanders to stay in the race in order to build his delegate total and leverage that for policy wins within the Democratic Party’s platform. Others argued the platform is largely meaningless and that his greatest leverage is in the Senate, where the economy is being reshaped by an ongoing series of relief efforts historic in scope and scale.
The Sanders campaign had raised $182 million by the end of February, with roughly $19 million cash on hand, according to Federal Election Commission records. The Biden campaign, meanwhile, had raised $88 million and had $12 million cash on hand at that point in the campaign.
Sanders’s exit is a boost for Biden, particularly as it relates to campaign finance. Without a primary opponent, he can move more quickly to the general election phase of the race, during which he can spend money raised for that purpose. Had the contest gone all the way to the August convention without Biden having locked up the necessary delegates, he would be restricted to his scarce primary funds only. It’s not entirely clear when Biden can tap general election funds, and lawyers are working to move the date up as much as possible, sources said.
Sanders will be addressing his supporters via livestream at 11:45 a.m. ET.
Story cited here.
