Bernie Sanders drops out of the 2020 race

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

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is out of the 2020 presidential race.

The Vermont senator announced in a call with his staff on Wednesday he's suspending his campaign for president, CNN reports. This leaves former Vice President Joe Biden as the Democratic Party's presumed 2020 presidential nominee.

Biden had maintained his lead over Sanders in the delegate count over the past few weeks after his impressive showings in South Carolina and on Super Tuesday. After suffering another series of primary losses to Biden last month, Sanders admitted he was "losing the debate over electability" to the former vice president.

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This news comes after The Washington Post reported that some of Sanders' top aides, including his campaign manager, were urging him to consider dropping out of the race. Sanders also announced plans to speak to supporters in a live stream.

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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.