Senator Bernie Sanders suspends presidential campaign; students react

Written By Jake Dabkowski, Co-News Editor

Senator Bernie Sanders has suspended his campaign to be the Democratic nominee for the 2020 election. This decision makes former Vice President Joe Biden the presumptive nominee.

If I believed we had a feasible path to the nomination, I would certainly continue the campaign, but it’s just not there,” Sanders said during a live-streamed speech announcing the end of his campaign.

Sanders will remain on the ballot in an effort to gain enough delegates to “shape the new platform of the Democratic party.” States that have not yet held their primaries will still be able to vote, however, experts recommend those wanting to cast a ballot do it by mail.

“It sucks, but I expected it,” Dan Russo, a freshman broadcast production major, said.

“He didn’t go after Biden hard enough and that cost him everything,” Marc Palombo, a freshman acting major, said.

Biden and his campaign, who have been focused on the general election against incumbent President Donald Trump, have now expressed a desire to win over Sanders’ supporters.

“I hear you, I know what’s at stake, I know what we have to do… our goal as a campaign, and my goal as a candidate for president, is to unify this party and then to unify the nation,” Biden said during a live-streamed press conference.

A number of progressive groups announced that they will not endorse Biden, most predominantly the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

“Here lies the Democratic Party, they had their chance. We’d like to say they tried, but we all know that’s not true. Stay tuned for the political revolution,” the Pittsburgh chapter of the DSA said in a statement released following the main organization’s announcement that they would not endorse Biden.

The Youth Climate Strike organization also announced that they will not endorse Biden. The organization previously held nationwide walkouts last year, one of which was held in Pittsburgh.

Many on the left expressed the fact that Sanders is not the end.

“Something I admire so much about the left is the fact that they often do not treat their politicians like celebrities,” Noah Neal, a sophomore cinema major, said. “Bernie is a public servant and he was unable to get the job done. While I am monumentally disappointed in how the Democrats are handling this election, I am able to recognize that just because our guy didn’t win doesn’t mean the progressive movement is even close to done.”

The DSA will still back candidates for other races in the 2020 election, as will Our Revolution, the PAC founded by the Sanders campaign following their defeat in the 2016 presidential primary.

“We will fight to elect strong progressives at every level of government from Congress to the school board,” Sanders said during his live stream.

“Now is the time when we must fight harder than ever to reject the status quo being conveyed by Joe Biden,” Neal said. “I have a lot of faith in a lot of the up and coming progressive leaders but movements are made by the people, not politicians. I am extremely optimistic for what the future holds.”