Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden has said he has the most progressive record of anyone running in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary field, to which Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders says: Not so fast.

A self-described democratic socialist, Mr. Sanders pushed back Sunday on Mr. Biden’s claim, ticking off some of the highlights of his own resolutely left-wing record.

“Joe is a good friend of mine. I’m not here to attack Joe,” Mr. Sanders said on ABC’s “This Week.”

As far as Mr. Sanders is concerned, however, the facts are on his side.

“Joe voted for the war in Iraq. I led the effort against it. Joe voted for NAFTA and permanent, normal trade relations, trade agreements with China. I have led the effort against that” he continued. “Joe voted for the deregulation of Wall Street. I voted against that.”

Mr. Biden is widely viewed as a moderate Democrat, an image he has sought to temper. In March, a month before entering the race, he told a Delaware crowd, “I have the most progressive record of anybody running for the … anybody who would run.”

He and Mr. Sanders lead the crowded 2020 Democratic presidential primary field in a race that has candidates running to the left as they seek to catch on with progressive voters.

“I think if you look at Joe’s record and you look at my record, I don’t think there’s much question about who’s more progressive,” Mr. Sanders concluded.

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