Sen. Bernie Sanders said he is continuing his campaign despite former Vice President Joe Biden's increasing lead in delegates.
Sanders, who received a series of major losses to Biden, is refusing to drop out of the Democratic presidential race, a move Rep. Jim Clyburn, the House majority whip, and other established Democrats hope for.
In a contest of who has more delegates and has won more states, it is Biden. The former vice president has a total of 860 delegates, winning Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Minnesota, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Idaho and Massachusetts, South Carolina and Maine Democratic primaries, The New York Times reported.
Sanders, on the other hand, currently has 710 delegates, winning or securing more delegates than Biden in California, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and North Dakota, the Times reported.
Sanders announced he looks forward to challenging Biden in their debate on Sunday in Phoenix, The Times reported.
I look forward to debating Joe Biden on Sunday night. pic.twitter.com/YEhg9wsQgW
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 11, 2020
In an interview with NPR, Clyburn said on record that he believes the Democratic National Committee should immediately cancel the remaining contests and debates, making it easier for Biden to secure the Democratic nomination.
NEW: House Majority Whip James Clyburn tells NPR if Bernie Sanders doesn't win any states tonight, the Democratic National Committee should "shut this primary down" and "cancel the rest of these debates." https://t.co/qdk7LADWXk
pic.twitter.com/ZxbEOb6hPl— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) March 11, 2020
"I think when the night is over, Joe Biden will be the prohibitive favorite to win the Democratic nomination, and quite frankly, if the night ends the way it has begun, I think it is time for us to shut this primary down. It is time for us to cancel the rest of these debates — because you don't do anything but get yourself in trouble if you continue in this contest when it's obvious that the numbers will not shake out for you," Clyburn said.
Clyburn's frank suggestion led many Sanders supporters and some critics alike to become more irate, already presumably mad from Sanders' fall from frontrunner to a slight second place.
clyburn talking about shutting down the debates and primaries at this stage with half the fucking delegates on the table shows you how much he gives a fuck about people’s opinions. literally w a wisconsin supreme court seat race coming up too. real dumb shit.
— hasanabi (@hasanthehun) March 11, 2020
Jim Clyburn embodies the corruption and moral bankruptcy of democrats and the Black Misleadership class.
— Ajamu Baraka (@ajamubaraka) March 11, 2020
It is worth noting that neither candidate is halfway to the required 1991 delegate benchmark to become the Democratic nominee, and less than half of the states have voted.
