With the news that Montana Governor Steve Bullock and former Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Sestak dropped out of the presidential race this week, the Democratic primary is down to its sweet sixteen two months before the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3.
Neither Bullock or Sestak were able to cultivate significant support in the race. Bullock made a one-time appearance on the first night of the second round of the Democratic debates held in July, and Sestak never made it close to qualifying for a podium on stage.
Prior to Bullock and Sestak’s leaving the race, nine other major candidates had already called it quits, including prominent rivals who were once seen as viable candidates likely to go the distance such as New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke.
The race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination has already developed a reputation for its turbulence, at one point including 25 candidates all vying for the party’s coronation in Milwaukee next summer with lesser-known candidates breaking into the top-tier field while other power players see dramatic drops in support.
Last month, after it seemed as if the race was permanently narrowing down, two more candidates entered the ring signaling anxieties among Democrats that none of the options currently leading the field have what it takes to capture the party’s nomination and defeat President Donald Trump next fall.