Sanders says he's staying in the 2020 race and 'very much' looks forward to debating Biden

Bernie Sanders.
(Image credit: Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is admitting he didn't have a good night following Tuesday's primary contests, but he's not throwing in the towel.

Sanders spoke at a press conference on Wednesday after suffering another series of primary losses to former Vice President Joe Biden, including in the crucial state of Michigan that the Vermont senator won in 2016. Sanders did, however, win North Dakota, and Washington remains too close to call at this time.

"Last night, obviously, was not a good night for our campaign from a delegate point of view," Sanders said.

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But Sanders went on to argue that his campaign has "won the ideological debate" even as he conceded that he's "losing the debate over electability" to Biden. His campaign, he said, has heard from many people who say they agree with him but will vote for Biden because he's the best candidate to defeat President Trump.

"Needless to say, I strongly disagree with that assertion," Sanders said.

Now, Sanders said he "very much" looks forward to next Democratic debate, previewing a series of questions he wants to ask Biden in this one-on-one match-up concerning issues including Medicare-for-all, climate change, and criminal justice reform. This Democratic debate is set for March 15. Brendan Morrow

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.