Senator Bernie Sanders ended his presidential campaign last Wednesday, clearing Joe Biden’s path for the Democratic nomination. Immediately following an announcement he made to his campaign staff, Bernie made a press release statement.

“I wish I could give you better news, but I think you know the truth, and that is that we are now some 300 delegates behind Vice President Biden, and the path toward victory is virtually impossible,” Sanders said in a live stream after the call to staff.

“So, while we are winning the ideological battle and while we are winning the support of so many young people and working people throughout the country, I have concluded that this battle for the Democratic nomination will not be successful. And so, today, I am announcing the suspension of my campaign,” Sanders said.

For many, Senator Sanders’s choice to drop out of the race has been heartbreaking, especially for the working families and young people he spoke to who were his base supporters. Many of his supporters loved him for his ideas on Medicare for all and free college. Mia Wells, a freshman at AHS, is deeply saddened by Senator Sander’s choice to drop out.

“I have completely lost hope for 2020. I think if Bernie was the nominee, we would have a much better chance at beating Trump. It just breaks my heart because I know Bernie has been dreaming of being President all his life, and he doesn’t get to fulfill that dream,” Wells said.

Like Wells, many people do not believe that there is any hope left for a democratic president. This lack of hope could cause fewer people to vote or participate in polls later this year. Many people believe the goal is to beat Trump, but can we do that if fewer people choose to vote because Bernie is not the nominee? Alice Collins, a sophomore at AHS, believes that Sanders’s consistency made him the best candidate for President.

“I am very sad to see Senator Sanders go. He has been fighting for the same things since day one. He got arrested for resisting arrest when attending a Civil Rights demonstration. He was very young as well. He cared about the people then, and he STILL cares about the people,” Collins said.

Sanders’s consistency and advocacy for human rights have made him a strong candidate for the presidency since 2016, but they still were not strong enough for the nomination. Many people are afraid of Bernie’s socialist ideas and are not ready for free health care and taxing the rich. Bernie’s ideas filed people with hope. It was the hope we needed to say that we could beat Trump. If you were a Bernie supporter or not, please go out and vote this November. Just remember your vote matters.