This article has been updated to include additional responses to Bernie Sanders’ announcement.
Bernie Sanders, once a frontrunner in the 2020 Democratic presidential race, announced on Wednesday that he is dropping out.
The independent senator from Vermont reached frontrunner status in a crowded field, packing rallies with energized young supporters and receiving millions of dollars in small-denomination donations.
He was popular for pushing universal health care and Medicare for All and for promising college tuition forgiveness. His proposed coronavirus relief package focused on keeping workers on the payroll, guaranteeing paid medical and sick leave for all workers, and providing monthly direct payments of $2,000 each to every person in the U.S.
However, Sen. Sanders failed to earn Black voters in large numbers, NBC News reported.
A core of the Democratic party, Black voters supported Sen. Joe Biden at rates of 66 percent in Michigan and 72 percent in Missouri. In Mississippi, where Black voters made up 69 percent of the electorate, they backed Biden over Sanders nearly nine to 1, Vox reported. Biden won 61 percent of black Democratic primary voters in South Carolina.
In the April 7 Wisconsin primary, Sanders was expected to come up short of Biden, according to available polls. Results are not expected until next week.
Young Black voters backed Sanders overwhelmingly this election cycle, Vox reported, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Biden’s wins.
“Older Americans have always been more likely to vote. Even though voters aged 18-29 have been showing increased turnout numbers in recent elections, senior citizens still stand atop the heap,” political analyst Jake Novak wrote for CNBC.
Responses to Sanders’ announcement included denial that this is the end of his presidential run.
“Bernie Sanders didn’t drop out. Bernie suspended his campaign,” said Carl Parrish, founder and CEO of Deeply Digital Designs Inc., in an email to Moguldom. “There is an important distinction. Bernie’s name will still be on the ballot for each future 2020 primary. He hasn’t given his delegates to Biden. This is important because as it stands now, Bernie has 22 percent of the delegates. He needs 25 percent to help direct the Democratic party platform. With people reporting he dropped out, it makes it even harder for people to understand the distinction.”
Other responses on social media ranged from mourning and respect for his legacy to thanking him for trying.
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“No presidential candidate, ever, cared about Muslims in the US as much as #BernieSanders,” law professor and author Khaled Beydoun tweeted. “He campaigned heavily in Muslim communities. Elevated Muslims into leadership positions. Tackled Islamophobia and rejected the War on Terror. Muslims will always remember & love #Bernie”.
Martin Luther King III tweeted, “#BernieSanders dedicated his life to public service. He ran a strong presidential campaign and he inspired many young people to become engaged in the political process. I thank him for raising his voice during this critical election.”
Maya Wiley, a university professor at TheNewSchool and legal analyst for NBC and MSNBC tweeted, “Make no mistake, #BernieSanders & the many who’ve supported his campaign have had a big impact on the Democratic Party, by pushing for universal health care, corporate accountability & more.”
