#StillVotingYang Trends Following Andrew Yang’s Exit From Democratic Presidential Primary
Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang recently dropped out of the primary after failing to gain delegates in Iowa and New Hampshire. Despite his exit from the race, his supporters trended #StillVotingYang on Friday and expressed their plans to continue supporting the Venture for America founder.
“I’m not #StillVotingYang because I think it’ll resurrect his campaign,” one supporter wrote. “Im[sic] voting Yang because he’s the only candidate who earned my vote and gave me something to vote FOR, not against.”
“I’m #StillVotingYang because I want my vote to count toward a vision of the future I actually believe in and am excited about,” wrote another.
“It was my honor to vote for Yang on my absentee ballot for the California primary yesterday,” another wrote, pointing to Yang’s policy proposals as crucial for the 21st century.
The decision to continue voting for Yang isn’t surprising given that his campaign attracted people from across the political spectrum, many of whom were not traditionally Democratic voters. In a previous 7News/Emerson College survey, 42 percent of respondents who supported Yang said they would not support the eventual Democratic nominee – the highest number of all candidates. According to Yang, this number suggests he is “exciting people” that have not traditionally voted for the Democratic Party.
Although Yang is no longer in the race, his campaign’s signature universal basic income (UBI) proposal appears to have helped push the idea into mainstream discourse. His supporters also plan to continue supporting congressional candidates that are in favor of UBI to lay the foundation for a possible Yang run in the future.
As of now, there are dozens of pro-UBI candidates aiming for congressional seats, including David Kim, Brianna Wu, and James Ellars.
It seems that the media coverage after @AndrewYang’s ‘suspension’ has given him quite the boost! #StillVotingYang #YangGang pic.twitter.com/2qsIoK3oR3
— ?LL?RS (@Ellars) February 15, 2020
As reported by Rolling Stone, Yang has already spoken about another possible presidential run in 2024. The 45-year-old businessman pointed to his work in Iowa and New Hampshire and claimed that it could help provide a foundation for a future presidential campaign.
According to Business Insider, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is poised to benefit the most from Yang’s exit from the presidential race. Per the publication’s audience poll, 69 percent of Yang’s supporters would also be happy with Sanders as the nominee.
Conversely, The New York Post reported on a Stanford University/Reality Check that suggested Donald Trump could benefit as well. Of the 200 Yang supporters that were questioned in the hours after Yang’s suspension of his campaign, 11 percent said they were supporting Trump. Still, the same poll echoed Business Insiders and found that Sanders ultimately benefitted the most, with 33 percent of Yang’s supporters saying they would support the Vermont Senator.
