As of January 2020, Sanders had raised more money than any other Democratic candidate, and only self-funded billionaires Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg had more cash on hand.

[5] Sanders suspended his presidential campaign on April 8, 2020,[1] following a string of losses to his chief rival Joe Biden and a dwindling path to the nomination.

Sanders joined the 2020 race with the advantages of a large online donor base and having his policy ideas accepted into the Democratic mainstream.

[18] In a crowded field of primary candidates, Sanders had the largest infrastructure in waiting but was likely to see his supporter base fragmented, as compared to his head-to-head campaign in 2016.

Shakir added that 99% of the donations were $100 or less with an average contribution size of $18 and that the campaign received 2 million the day after the Miami Democratic debate.

[37] Sanders held a kickoff rally at New York City's Brooklyn College (his alma mater) on March 2, 2019, with an estimated crowd of around 13,000 in attendance.

In addition to his well-known positions on income equality and societal reform, Sanders also spoke about his personal life, which was something that he had hesitated to do in his first presidential campaign.

Sanders spoke about the influence that his working-class upbringing in Brooklyn and the experiences of his father, a Jewish immigrant who had fled from anti-Semitism and poverty in Poland, had on his life.

Sanders discussed his personal involvement in the civil rights movement, including his leading role in the 1962 University of Chicago sit-ins and his participation in the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

"[40] On May 5, Sanders gave a speech at the Mitchell County Fairgrounds in Osage, Iowa, calling for radical changes to the agricultural economy of the United States including different policy approaches for farm subsidies, supply management programs and rural investments and cited the need for new anti-trust measures to combat the "growing monopolization of agriculture.

"[41] On June 12, Sanders gave a speech at George Washington University defining and defending his vision of democratic socialism, saying it was an imperative in order to both defeat Trump in the upcoming election and bring systemic change to the United States.

[45] On July 23, Sanders and Elizabeth Warren spoke at a rally of organized airline industry workers at Reagan National Airport, Sanders saying that they had a simple request of wanting Sky Chefs, Gate Gourmet, and American Airlines to pay "workers living wages and provide decent health care.

[47] On August 7, Sanders held a rally at Long Beach City College in Long Beach, California, where he advocated for his Senate colleagues to pass legislation raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour that had been passed in the House the previous month as well as the implementation of a ban on the sale and distribution of assault-style rifles.

[48] On August 8, Sanders delivered a speech at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Miami, Florida, saying that his proposal to make college and health care free while taxing the wealthy would "disproportionately" assist black communities and described how his plan to forgive student loan debt would lift a burden that kept young people struggling.

[55] During July, Sanders participated in the presidential forum of the National Education Association in Honolulu, Hawaii,[56] a town hall in Las Vegas, Nevada,[57] and at a The Washington Post public interview event with Robert Costa, drawing laughter from the audience when he asked if Bank of America was really sponsoring his appearance, in reference to the bank's logo being behind the pair.

[58] In August, Sanders delivered remarks at a presidential forum in Las Vegas as news broke of the 2019 El Paso shooting.

[citation needed] In December 2019, three months after experiencing a heart attack, Sanders released three letters from physicians detailing his health.

Defending Sanders, his spokeswoman Briahna Joy Gray falsely claimed that Mike Bloomberg had also "suffered heart attacks in the past.

[76] At the Democratic debate on February 19, Sanders suggested that such behavior represents only a small fraction of his base and that some of his alleged online supporters may be Russian bots.

[82][83][84][85] Shortly before Super Tuesday, Biden won the South Carolina, a victory that was largely attributed to Rep. Jim Clyburn's (D-SC) endorsement of him.

[86][87] One week after Super Tuesday, the Michigan primary, which in 2016 gave the Sanders campaign a critical boost, was a decisive victory for Biden.

After poor results in election contests from Super Tuesday and beyond,[91] Sanders announced the suspension of his 2020 presidential campaign in a call to staff and supporters on April 8.

But it is Sanders's relentless push for Medicare for All – a proposal with 14 Senate co-sponsors in its latest iteration – that has set a measuring stick among Democrats in this primary.

"[100] Matt Flegenheimer of The New York Times wrote that through his dismissal of Ryan "and other exchanges like it—with several candidates nipping at him and a team of CNN moderators goading the contenders into open conflict—Mr.

Sanders views global warming as a serious problem,[107] and he brought the need for aggressive climate action to national attention in his 2016 run.

On social issues, he stands for immigration reform, abortion rights for women, opposition to the death penalty, LGBT equality, and recognition of Black Lives Matter concerns.

[109] Major current or former American politicians who endorsed Sanders include Patrick Leahy, Nina Turner, Jesús "Chuy" García,[110] Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Keith Ellison, Peter Welch,[111][112] Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,[113] Ilhan Omar,[114] Rashida Tlaib,[115] Robert Reich, Bill de Blasio,[116] Mark Pocan[117] and Mike Gravel.

[121] International heads of state including Daniel Ortega, Evo Morales, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Rafael Correa had also endorsed Sanders.

[citation needed] Notable individuals who had endorsed Sanders include Jack Nicholson, Emily Ratajkowski, Danny DeVito,[122] Danny Glover,[123] Dick Van Dyke,[124] Cardi B,[125] Lil Yachty, Miley Cyrus, Hailey Bieber, Dave Bautista, Chloë Sevigny, Killer Mike, Shailene Woodley, Shaun King,[126] Linda Sarsour, Susan Sarandon, John Mulaney, Rob Delaney, Milla Jovovich, Michael Moore,[127] Cynthia Nixon, John Cusack, Sarah Silverman, Werner Herzog, Ethan and Hila Klein, Magdalene Visaggio, Vincent Waller, Owen Dennis,[128] Justin Long, Elizabeth Gillies, Thomas Middleditch, Lizzo, Caroline Calloway, David Cross, Charlyne Yi, Bill Sienkiewicz, Julian Casablancas, Norah Jones, Tim Heidecker,[129] Willow Smith, Susan Eisenberg, William Salyers, Sandy Fox, Jack White,[130] Jason Mraz,[131] Brandi Carlile, Billy West, Rebecca Sugar, Mark Ruffalo, TJ Kirk, Boogie2988, Greg Cipes, Amer Zahr, Eric Andre,[132] Ariana Grande,[133] Bon Iver's Justin Vernon,[134] Neil Young,[135] and Cenk Uygur.

[137] In July 2019, the Sanders campaign issued an "anti-endorsement" list consisting almost entirely of corporate executives and billionaires who have criticized the senator and his policies.