Brittany Pichler
Managing Editor
Sen. Bernie Sanders announced April 8 he is dropping out of the 2020 presidential race, paving a clear path for former Vice President Joe Biden as the democratic nomination.
“I wish I could give you better news, but I think you know the truth,” Sanders wrote in an email to his supporters. “And that is that we are now some 300 delegates behind Vice President Biden, and the path toward victory is virtually impossible.”
Sanders, 78, addressed his supporters in a livestream Wednesday morning saying the decision to suspend his presidential campaign was “difficult and painful.”
“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,” Sanders said.
Sanders’ announcement has left some of his supporters at Texas A&M University-San Antonio disappointed.
Political science sophomore Isabella Ohnesorge, a volunteer for Sanders’ campaign, expressed her support for Sanders.
“I feel very strongly and passionately about the stuff that I believe in, and Bernie Sanders, his views and what he wants to do pretty much aligns with what I believe,” Ohnesorge said.
Ohnesorge, who has Type 1 diabetes, said she hopes Biden will continue Sanders’ ideas for healthcare.
“Insulin is really really expensive and it takes a big toll in my family’s budget,” Ohnesorge said. “I would definitely love Medicare for all.”
Ohnesorge said she hopes people will consider Sanders’ ideas in the future and what he fought for will not be lost.
Jasmine Martinez, a political science senior, has been a supporter of Sanders since 2016.
“Bernie Sanders was my nominee in this election and in the last election,” Martinez said. “I firmly believe Bernie Sanders is a movement, not just a campaign.”
Martinez is now worried about those who are deciding not to vote or switching to the opposite political party.
“The fight goes on, and giving up on this election or giving up on the blue party isn’t a choice,” Martinez said. “It breaks my heart but I do not scold anyone for their choices and point of view because Bernie was definitely a huge movement that feels lost but actually only just began. Fight on. I’d hate to see people give up because things didn’t go their way. It’s selfish. We still have work to do with what we have.”
The announcement comes as the coronavirus outbreak floods the nation, leaving some primaries postponed as social distancing is enforced.
In last month’s primaries, Biden defeated Sanders in Florida, Illinois and Arizona. To be nominated at the Democratic National Convention this July, a candidate needs to gather 1,991 delegates. The former vice president holds a large lead against Sanders, 1,217 to 914.
During a livestream speech last month, Biden, 77, assured Sanders’ supporters he has heard their concerns.
“Sen. Sanders and his supporters have brought a remarkable passion and tenacity to all of these issues,” Biden said. “Together, they have shifted the fundamental conversation in this country. So, let me say, especially to the young voters who have been inspired by Sen. Sanders: I hear you. I know what’s at stake. I know what we have to do.”
Despite his withdrawal from the race, Sanders said he will remain on the ballot in the remaining primary states to push his “ideological agenda” at the Democratic National Convention.
“We often hear about the beauty of America,” Sander wrote in his email. “And this is an incredibly beautiful country. But to me the beauty I will remember most is in the faces of the people we have met from one corner of this country to the other. The compassion, love and decency I saw in them makes me so hopeful for our future. It also makes me more determined than ever to work to create a country that reflects those values and lifts up all our people.”
This was the second campaign for president from the self-proclaimed democratic-socialist after running in 2016 against opponents including Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
