Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told the Associated Press on Tuesday he will not embark on a third-straight campaign for president and will instead endorse President Joe Biden’s reelection, signaling a likely end to the 81-year-old’s presidential ambitions following grassroots bids that elevated his views of democratic socialism toward the political mainstream.
Then-Democratic presidential hopeful former Joe Biden (L) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) ... [+]
Sanders said in the AP interview the main factor against running is to make sure Democrats are united to take on “Donald Trump or some other right-wing demagogue who is going to try to undermine American democracy.”
The senator hadn’t ruled out a 2024 run while awaiting an announcement from Biden, with advisor Faiz Shakir telling CBS News in December Sanders would take “a hard look” at running if Biden opted against a reelection bid.
Biden announced his 2024 presidential campaign in a video released early Tuesday morning, saying he needs another four years to continue his “battle for the soul of America.”
“Running for president was a wonderful privilege,” Sanders told the AP. “I enjoyed it very much and I hope we had some impact on the nature of American politics.”
Sanders was a relatively obscure political figure before he launched his 2016 presidential campaign in a long shot bid against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. But his messaging against inequality and corporate greed—along with a populist veneer that contrasted with the popular view of Clinton as an arch-establishment figure—drew massive crowds across the country that energized his campaign. Sanders ultimately fell short of the nomination and endorsed Clinton, but the unexpected strength of his campaign served as a precursor to a wave of progressive wins in the 2018 midterms—when figures that are now progressive stalwarts like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) defeated moderate Democrats to win their first terms in Congress. Sanders ran for president as a Democrat again in 2020, and appeared on track to win the nomination before moderate challengers like Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg dropped out just before Super Tuesday and endorsed Biden, effectively letting moderate support coalesce around Biden on his way to the nomination. Sanders’ influence among Democrats grew significantly despite the losses, leading to his selection as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee in 2021—a position he held until January.
Polling has consistently shown Democrats would prefer a nominee other than Biden in 2024, in large part due to Biden’s age. But, at 80, Biden is a year younger than Sanders, even though he is the oldest presidential office holder in history and will be the oldest major party nominee, at 82, if he secures the 2024 Democratic nomination. If Biden wins reelection and serves out a full second term, he will leave office at age 86.
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