Bernie Sanders drops out of presidential race
Bernie Sanders has dropped out of the Democratic presidential race, effectively handing the nomination to former Vice President Joe Biden.
The Vermont senator made the decision today on a conference call with his campaign team, and he will be making a virtual statement to his followers today.
Sanders was the favourite in the race after wins in Nevada and New Hampshire gave him an early lead, leaving him looking like a certainty for the nomination.
The self-styled democratic socialist ran his campaign around his promise to provide universal healthcare, while also abolishing all private health insurance.
Another key policy was to make university education free and write off all student debt.
However, Sanders’ campaign stalled after Biden scored a large victory in South Carolina and was able to unify the centrist vote in the Democratic Party.
The ex-Vice President then went on to dominate the all important Super Tuesday, where 15 states hold their primaries at the same time.
Biden was helped by centrists Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropping out before Super Tuesday and throwing their support behind him.
Mike Bloomberg also dropped out of the race after Super Tuesday and immediately endorsed Biden.
The coronavirus outbreak halted in-person campaigning for Sanders and Biden, while a number of states delayed their primaries.