But after a promising start to his second run for president, Sanders is struggling to attract new supporters, and even keep some of the old ones, amid a crowded Democratic field that poses strong threats from the left and right.
Sanders consistently polls second to former vice president Joe Biden, but often in the teens, a precarious spot for someone who is known by virtually all Democratic voters. One of his trademark proposals — Medicare-for-all — has attracted fewer co-sponsors in Congress than two years ago. And although Sanders continues to draw larger crowds than most candidates, they are generally less diverse than the Democratic Party, highlighting one of his key weaknesses…
“There are people tired of old white men leading,” said David Wilson Brown, a North Carolina congressional candidate who not only voted for Sanders in 2016, but also felt inspired by him to run for office. Brown is now undecided, saying that “there could be a better way forward.”
At a recent Sanders rally in Charlotte, Brown said Warren is “high up” on his shortlist and expressed misgivings about what he called the “cult of personality” surrounding Sanders.
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