Sanders will ‘assess’ campaign after major primary losses

The Vermont senator will hold talks with his supporters before deciding whether he will drop out of the race

Senator Bernie Sanders is assessing the viability of his campaign after losing Democratic primaries in Arizona, Florida, and Illinois on Tuesday to former Vice President Joe Biden.

Dawn Onley

Mar 18, 2020

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Senator Bernie Sanders is assessing the viability of his campaign after losing Democratic primaries in Arizona, Florida, and Illinois on Tuesday to former Vice President Joe Biden.

According to a statement released on Wednesday morning by Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir, the Vermont senator will hold talks with his supporters before deciding whether he will drop out of the race.

“The next primary contest is at least three weeks away,” Shakir said in the statement, according to NPR.

“Sen. Sanders is going to be having conversations with supporters to assess his campaign. In the immediate term, however, he is focused on the government response to the coronavirus outbreak and ensuring that we take care of working people and the most vulnerable.”

Since Feb. 29, when Biden won the Democratic primary in South Carolina by capturing nearly 50 percent of the vote, Sanders has struggled to maintain momentum from key demographics in the Democratic Party, including Black voters.

Biden went on to win primary races in states including Alabama, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Michigan, Missouri, and Mississippi.

On Tuesday, Biden added to his delegate lead by winning Arizona, Florida, and Illinois by wide margins. He now has a majority of the delegates, according to NPR, and some say the lead is too surmountable for Sanders to overcome.

Sanders addressed his supporters Tuesday night but didn’t address the future direction of his campaign. Instead, he talked about what the federal government should be doing to address the crisis, and called for a $2,000 monthly stimulus check to be sent out to every American.

The Senate is expected to vote on a relief bill this week.

After he swept the primary elections yesterday, Biden used the opportunity to address Sanders and his supporters. “I hear you. I know what’s at stake,” Biden said Tuesday night. “And I know what we have to do.”