Political experts say that Sanders has moved to the left along with the rest of his party after the issue became a major vulnerability for him in his 2016 primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, who found and exploited Sanders' rare vulnerability on the left. "Bernie shifted with the Democratic Party (even as an independent)," Professor Larry Sabato, director of UVA’s Center for Politics, said. "And he saw in 2016 his gun record could be a real detriment to his presidential ambitions."