Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) indicated Monday that he won’t run for president again.
Sanders was asked at a Washington Post Live event whether he’d consider a third consecutive presidential run in 2024, reports the political website The Hill.
“I think the likelihood is very, very slim at that,” Sanders replied. “I think next time around you’ll see another progressive carrying the banner. I think it’s very, very unlikely that I’ll ever be running for president again.”
Sanders will turn 79 later this year.
He was briefly the front-runner this year in a crowded Democratic field of presidential hopefuls, and was the last candidate standing in opposition to Joe Biden.
But the former vice president’s multiple primary victories prompted Sanders to first drop out of the race, then endorse Biden as the presumptive nominee, last month.
He has since repeatedly encouraged his supporters — many of them younger voters — to get behind Biden and defeat Donald Trump in November.
That leaves the progressive wing of the Democratic Party more or less leaderless, although Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) could take up the mantle.