Check back for updates. Polling stations are now closed and former Vice President Joe Biden has been declared the winner in South Carolina.
Former Vice President Joe Biden was declared the winner immediately after the polling stations in Palmetto State closed. The cable and television networks called the race based on exit survey data, which almost all showed Biden.
Biden’s victory gives a boost to his campaign after disappointing results in the presidential elections in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. Biden placed fourth in Iowa, fifth in New Hampshire and second in Nevada.
South Carolina gave him his first presidential victory – and in one of his previous presidential elections – giving him a much-needed boost before the important Super Tuesday elections on March 3.
Biden’s victory ends Vermont senator Bernie Sanders’ winning streak in the first three games. Biden had predicted he would win South Carolina, dismissing questions about whether he would give up if he didn’t.
“I’m going to win South Carolina,” he promised during a Democratic debate Tuesday evening. “And I will win with the African American vote.”
He was right on both counts. Biden garnered strong African-American support in the state, helped by the coveted approval of representative James Clyburn.
Biden conducted polls in the Palmetto state of 20 percentage points last fall before ranking fourth in Iowa and fifth in New Hampshire.
Biden downplayed these early contests, focusing on more diverse states such as South Carolina, which he said would better assess which Democrat should challenge President Donald Trump.
– Michael Collins
Klobuchar says she “heads to Super Tuesday”
Speaking at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, Senator Amy Klobuchar said she had no plans to withdraw before voters from that state and 13 others voted on March 3. , while about a third of the delegates are to be taken.
Klobuchar said that people “had predicted that I would not spend the summer, and that I would not participate in the debates”.
“But I’m headed for Super Tuesday,” she said.
While Klobuchar made her remarks, she followed all the candidates except for the representative Tulsi Gabbard in the primary of South Carolina with 3% of the votes.
-William Cummings
Buttigieg: “I am proud of the votes we have won”
Former Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg told supporters that he was proud of the votes he had won across the country, providing an optimistic path after a defeat in the South Carolina primary.
From Raleigh, North Carolina, Buttigieg congratulated former vice president Joe Biden for his decisive victory in the state.
“I am proud of the votes we have won and I am determined to win every vote on the road ahead,” he said before noting that running for president “is an exercise in hope and humility.”
Buttigieg is currently third in the number of national delegates with 26 delegates. He was overtaken by Biden on Saturday after the race in South Carolina.
– Christal Hayes
Biden claims victory: “Thank you, thank you, South Carolina!”
Joe Biden said his victory proves that you can always get up after being knocked down.
“You brought me back,” Biden told supporters of South Carolina, recognizing Congressman Jim Clyburn for his praise. “We are very alive.”
Biden said Super Tuesday gives Democrats a choice, and he’s the one who can beat Donald Trump.
Biden did not specifically mention Bernie Sanders by name but noted that his opponent does not belong to the Democratic Party.
“Democrats want a Democratic candidate!” Said Biden.
He also repeated his anti-Sanders mantra that people don’t want a “revolution”, they want “results”.
“We need real change now!” he said.
The victory rally had an impression of Barack Obama, in terms of music (“Move on Up”) and songs.
At one point, the crowd reestablished an Obama standard by chanting “Fired Up! Ready to Go!”
They also gave Biden his own song: “Come on Joe! Come on Joe!”
Biden cited his family, including his late son Beau and his besieged son Hunter, as well as others who helped him in a political career that now spans nearly half a century.
He promised that “the days of Donald Trump” will be “soon over”.
Returning to the people of South Carolina – and Congressman Clyburn – Biden told his supporters that he loved them.
“Thank you to all the Bidens,” he said.
He concluded by saying: “Here’s the deal: let’s resume! … Let’s resume our country!”
– David jackson
Biden overtakes Sanders for popular vote
Former Vice President Joe Biden overtook Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary popular vote after an overwhelming victory in South Carolina.
After having been projected to win South Carolina’s popular vote by a wide margin, combined with the first four advance polling states, Biden now has a slight lead, according to NBC.
Sanders bragged repeatedly about his previous popular vote, especially during the Iowa caucus debacle, where his campaign finally came second behind former Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg among the delegates .
Biden is slightly behind Sanders in the delegate count after finishing fourth in Iowa, fifth in New Hampshire and second in Nevada.
–Savannah Behrmann
Tom Steyer ends presidential campaign
Billionaire Tom Steyer announced the End of his presidential campaign after another poor performance in the South Carolina primary.
In a speech on Saturday evening, Steyer, 62, thanked his supporters and campaign staff, saying he “had no regrets”.
“There is no doubt today that this campaign we were disappointed with where we came out,” Steyer told the crowd. “Honestly, I don’t see a way to win the presidency.”
Steyer’s decision comes just days before Super Tuesday, when 14 states and one American territory will weigh on the Democratic primary. He is one of the many candidates who, according to some, should leave the race to consolidate the votes around high-level candidates.
Despite the tens of millions he poured into Palmetto state, it was unclear whether Steyer should win delegates to South Carolina when he left. He had won no delegate in the first three competitions.
Steyer said on Saturday that meeting the people of South Carolina and America was “the greatest highlight” of his life.
“When the Lord closes a door, he opens a window,” said Steyer passionately. “I will find this window and crawl through with you, I promise.”
– Christal Hayes, Savannah Behrmann and Rebecca Morin
Sanders should rank 2nd at S.C.
Senator Bernie Sanders is expected to rank 2nd in the South Carolina primary, behind former Vice President Joe Biden.
The prediction is always a boost for Sanders who maintains a lead in the number of national delegates.
Projections show that Biden will receive at least 20 delegates from South Carolina, while Sanders will receive at least six.
The race increases the number of Sanders to at least 51 delegates, ahead of Biden, who rose to second place with at least 35 delegates.
There are 3,979 promised delegates from all states and territories, and a candidate needs 1,991 of them to win in the first vote at the National Democratic Convention.
–Christal Hayes and the Associated Press
Bloomberg campaign doesn’t seem worried about Biden’s victory
Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg is going nowhere.
His campaign seemed to raise fears that after the decisive victory of former Vice President Joe Biden in South Carolina, the name of Bloomberg on the ballot in the next batch of primary contests will divide the moderate vote and support the campaign Senator Bernie Sanders, who heads the number of national delegates.
“Mike Bloomberg has yet to vote. Our campaign is focused on organizing Democrats and building infrastructure in the states of the country,” said campaign director Kevin Sheekey. “Mike is the only candidate to campaign in all fourteen Super Tuesday states in the past two months and we look forward to Tuesday. Mike’s track record in managing and managing crises and challenges is exactly what the Americans are looking for a new president. “
In a speech in Charlotte, North Carolina, hosted by the state’s Democratic Party, Bloomberg doubled that he was the candidate to beat Trump.
“I’m running to defeat Donald Trump. I am campaigning for change, “he said, noting that he was not a” typical politician “.
“I am not someone who shouts slogans when they are not true,” he said.
He made the worsening of the coronavirus the centerpiece of his speech to the Democrats in North Carolina, saying that the president’s role in leading the nation “is life threatening.”
– Christal Hayes
Warren says campaign was “long term”
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren turns to Super Tuesday after a disappointing night in South Carolina.
Addressing supporters at a political rally in Houston, Warren offered his congratulations to former Vice President Joe Biden, who won the South Carolina primary.
Warren seemed to be headed for fifth place in the Palmetto state. These disappointing results come after less than excellent performances in previous competitions in Iowa, where she ranked third, and in New Hampshire and Nevada, two states where she ranked fourth.
“I will be the first to say that the first four contests did not go exactly as I hoped,” said Warren.
But with Super Tuesday just three days away, Warren said she was looking to win as many delegates as he could for the party’s national convention in July.
“It may take days or even longer to get the full results for the Super Tuesday,” she said, “but they will be essential in determining who will be our candidate this year.”
“Our campaign is designed for the long term,” she said, “and we look forward to these great contests.”
– Michael Collins
Sanders: “we are now heading to Super Tuesday!”
Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Acknowledged the victory of former Vice President Joe Biden, but looked forward to performance in other states as it was likely that he would finish in second place in Carolina South.
“I want to congratulate Joe Biden on his victory tonight, and now we are headed for Super Tuesday!” he said at a campaign rally in Norfolk, Virginia.
Sanders said he was proud of his campaign to win the popular vote in Iowa, the New Hampshire primary and the Nevada caucuses, but “you can’t win them all.”
“Lots of states there, and tonight we didn’t win in South Carolina. And it will not be the only defeat. There are a lot of states in this country, no one wins them all, ”he said.
The poll showed Sanders a head start in several states rich in delegates, such as California and Texas. More than a third of all delegates will be assigned in the next American vote on Tuesday.
– Nicholas Wu
Will Biden boost Super Tuesday because of early voting in these states?
Millions of ballots have been cast in advance polls for several states on Super Tuesday, which could affect Biden’s ability to build on the momentum of his victory in South Carolina.
The reason why Super Tuesday is so important is that there are 1,344 delegates assigned to the 14 states and one territory as of that same day, or about 34% of all the delegates promised.
Some states with many delegates to win have been in the early stages of voting for weeks, including California and Texas, which means that Biden’s victory could influence voting results in the states of Super Tuesday a few days before the day arrives.
According to some recent polls, Sanders has a lead in California and Texas, while billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who spent hundreds of millions of dollars on Super Tuesday, only slightly follows Biden, who is in second place.
– Savannah Behrmann
Biden will have a great three-day Tuesday in four states
Strengthened by his victory in South Carolina, Joe Biden has already planned his Super Tuesday.
Due to its limited time, Biden focuses on four states: Alabama, Virginia, Texas and California.
On Sunday, he travels to Selma, Alabama and Norfolk, Virginia, and plans to appear on several Sunday television shows.
Monday brings a trip to Texas, with visits to Houston and Dallas.
Biden plans to spend Super Tuesday himself at sites not yet advertised in California – his most difficult state, while Bernie Sanders is conducting surveys there.
– David jackson
Trump says Biden’s victory should end Bloomberg campaign
President Donald Trump wasted no time weighing on the results of Saturday’s Democratic primary in South Carolina.
“Sleepy Joe Biden’s Democratic primary victory in South Carolina should be the end of a Mini Mike Bloomberg campaign joke,” Trump tweeted just minutes after Biden was declared the winner.
Trump made fun of Bloomberg’s performance during last week’s Democratic debate in Las Vegas, in which former New York mayor was gutted by Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren.
Trump seemed to suggest that Biden had taken advantage of Bloomberg’s shaky performance.
“After the worst debating performance in the history of presidential debates, Mini Mike has now divided his very few voters, taking away a lot!” Said Trump.
– Michael Collins
Former Virginia governor approves Biden
Shortly after the race was called in favor of Biden, former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe approved the former CNN vice president.
“I’m going to approve Joe Biden,” said McAuliffe. “I thought about it long and hard. For me, it’s about beating Donald Trump and for me, it’s a problem of eligibility. Who has the best shot at beating Donald Trump? “
Virginia will be one of 14 states and an American territory to win on Tuesday.
McAuliffe cited healthcare weighing heavily on his decision, saying he wanted a candidate who would protect and benefit from Obamacare. He also explained that Biden had the greatest chance of helping Democrats in the House and Senate races, a key problem that some moderates raised with Senator Bernie Sanders, who led nationally with delegates after the first three contests in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.
“Joe Biden will be the best person at the top of the rankings,” said McAuliffe.
– Christal Hayes
Polls closed in South Carolina
The South Carolina primaries closed, bringing the state to a crucial stage in choosing its candidate.
The first primary in the South offers 54 Democratic delegates to win – the largest of the four early voting states. And a victory tonight could propel a new front-runner as the race heads for Super Tuesday on March 3, when 14 states and one US territory vote.
Former Vice President Joe Biden is widely regarded as the leader in the Palmetto State and could benefit most from the largest number of delegates. He follows US Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, former mayor Pete Buttigieg in the delegate count following competitions in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.
Bloomberg is preparing a Sunday evening speech on the coronavirus
Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg plans to speak on the coronavirus, posing as someone with experience to reassure and protect the public.
His campaign said on Saturday that Bloomberg will deliver a three-minute message on Sunday evening on CBS and NBC. The registered address is titled “Leadership in Crisis” and will be available at approximately 8:30 pm Eastern Time. The campaign did not say how much Bloomberg is paying for trading time.
In his speech, Bloomberg is expected to discuss his “constant leadership” as mayor of New York in the face of the threat of terrorism, as well as a hurricane, West Nile virus and swine flu.
The announcement comes after President Donald Trump’s update on COVID-19, after the virus first died in the United States. Vice President Mike Pence has announced new travel restrictions and warnings.
Trump has said that 22 people in the United States have been affected by the new coronavirus, and four are deemed to be “very sick” and that additional cases are “likely”.
– Associated press
Biden puts Clyburn to work for him in North Carolina before Super Tuesday
COLUMBIA, SC – Joe Biden’s campaign said on Saturday that rep Jim Blyburn, whose approval of Biden seems to play a major role in today’s South Carolina primary, will also work for him in North Carolina .
Clyburn will fall for former vice president Sunday in Fayetteville, North Carolina, of the states hosting a Super Tuesday primary.
“Earlier this week, MP Clyburn, third Democrat and majority whip in the House, known as the King King of South Carolina, announced his approval of Biden,” the campaign announcement announced.
The announcement came shortly after television networks revealed exit polls showing that approval for Clyburn was a major deal for many Democratic voters in South Carolina.
According to the survey, 24% of voters said Clyburn’s approval was “the most important factor” in their votes – probably Biden’s.
– David jackson
Sanders denounces President Donald Trump in rally
Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Took center stage in Springfield, Virginia, slamming President Donald Trump and promising a united, multigenerational and multiracial coalition against him.
“They say Bernie can’t beat Trump – well, I respectfully disagree,” he said to the applause.
“The only way to beat Trump is a campaign of energy, excitement, a campaign that engages workers in the political process, a campaign that engages young people in the political process – and I believe we are the most strong to do it, “he said.
Representative Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Who endorsed Sanders, warmed up the crowd just before, telling the crowd, “Our campaign is designed to make everyone visible.”
She raised controversy over the online behavior of some Sanders supporters, saying campaign critics, “They say it’s a campaign on the Bernie brothers – so I’m a Bernie brother!”
The rally filled the cavernous St. James complex, a field and a sports center, although other activities took place as usual in the building. You could see people running on treadmills in downtown gymnasiums, and hosting a birthday party for a little girl meant that Hello Kitty’s birthday party placards were being held close up signs of Sanders supporters.
Sanders had just returned from a rally in Boston, Massachusetts, where at least 10,000 people were present.
He was mainly among the supporters here in Fairfax County, where Hillary Clinton won by a wide margin in 2016.
People were lining up outside the door, many wearing hoodies, beanies, and Sanders shirts in 34-degree cold weather. Vendors along the fan line got a good deal from Sanders paraphernalia, including a “Bernie Yoda” shirt, a nod to the popular Star Wars character “The Mandalorian”.
Madhav Acharya, a 59-year-old computer scientist from Luton, Virginia, told USA TODAY that he had so far supported Sanders in elementary school and was there to hear from the candidate about his policies. For him, the biggest issues were health care and education, and Sanders was the only one who promised the best plans for “no tuition” education and lower medical costs.
Eugene Park, a 28-year-old resident doctor from Falls Church, Virginia, said he was “just there for enthusiasm”, having already decided to support Sanders.
Some other voters were curious about the candidate.
Susan Sawyer, a 60-year-old federal employee from Alexandria, Virginia, who currently supports Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Said she was there to “observe the event”. She didn’t like Sanders, she said, because “I don’t support socialism,” which she said meant policies like Sanders for “free health care and education.”
Sawyer had voted for President Donald Trump in 2016 out of concern about Hillary Clinton, but now thought Trump was “too divisive.”
She did not expect to support Sanders and rather hoped for a negotiated agreement.
Polls show a tight race in Virginia, one of the most populous states to compete in Super Tuesday. The state has promised 99 delegates, more than double the number in the country’s first nation, Iowa.
–Nicholas Wu
Almost half of Democratic primary voters say Clyburn’s approval was important
Almost half, 47%, of South Carolina’s Democratic primary voters said approval by Representative James Clyburn, D-S.C., was an important factor in their vote on Saturday. In addition, 24% of them said it was the most important factor in their decision.
Clyburn, the majority whip in the Democrat-led House, approved former Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
Clyburn said he thought Biden was the best bet for South Carolina and the nation, especially for African Americans. Clyburn said the prospect of a second term for President Donald Trump makes him “fearful” for the future.
Clyburn told CNN on Saturday that now he is “all in” for Biden, he “is not going to sit idly by and watch people mismanage this campaign”, reiterating the need to “reorganize” the campaign to go ‘before.
Biden, who struggled in the early primary and caucus states, turns to South Carolina to relaunch his campaign.
Clyburn is a living legend in South Carolina politics and has an unrivaled network in the state, especially among African American voters.
-Savannah Behrmann
Voters say top priority is to defeat Trump
Voters at a polling station in a North Charleston church said their top priority was to defeat Trump in November, but they argued that different Democratic challengers had the best chance of doing so.
Carolina Lane, 79, a retired teacher from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, who distributed Democratic flyers, said Biden’s experience made him the best bet among the candidates. “We have to find people who can sit with world leaders from the start,” she said.
Helon Everett, 54, a computer scientist from North Charleston who voted at the Royal Missionary Baptist Church, said she was with Biden because he is an experienced moderate who can appeal to the center of the country – something that a Bernie Sanders couldn’t do.
“This should be a referendum on Trump,” said Everett. “And there should be a referendum on Trump and not a referendum on socialism.”
Primary results in South Carolina:Follow live South Carolina Democratic primary results
What you need to know about Super Tuesday: Why is it so important? What is a delegate? And what happens during a negotiated agreement?
Sanders’ supporters, meanwhile, said that Biden represented the status quo and that voters did not want that.
“I guess I just wanted something different,” said Nicole Gomillion, 35, a computer scientist from North Charleston, who said that young people in particular would respond to Sanders’ messages about eliminating student debt and l expansion of health care.
Democrats in North Charleston who said they voted for Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren and Steyer said similar things, describing their candidates as agents of change, which is necessary for the party and the country. They also said they would vote for the candidacy of all Democrats so that they could accomplish their first task: defeating Trump.
“If my dog was the candidate, I would vote for her,” said Jessica Critcher, 31, a Warren supporter who described herself as an “ax throwing instructor” at a local bar.
– David Jackson
Biden Calls Trump’s Coronavirus Language “Dangerous”
At a political rally Friday night in North Charleston, Trump described the coronavirus epidemic as the “new hoax” for Democrats, suggesting that they were neglecting his administration’s efforts to fight the virus.
Biden called Trump’s language “absolutely dangerous” on Saturday during a visit to a polling station in Greenville.
“Everything is around him,” said Biden. “I know he’s a stable genius, but what he says is ridiculous.”
– John Fritze, David Jackson and the Associated Press
Sanders campaign says 13,000 people attended Boston rally
BOSTON – Six kilometers from Elizabeth Warren’s Cambridge home, more than 10,000 people traveled in freezing temperatures on Saturday for an outdoor gathering of Bernie Sanders in Boston Common, three days before the 91 Massachusetts delegates were won. Super Tuesday.
With former vice president Joe Biden the favorite to win Saturday’s primary in South Carolina, Sanders has turned to Super Tuesday, where he has the opportunity to gain a significant lead over all delegates. He was in Springfield, Massachusetts on Friday evening and will be in Virginia on Saturday evening before traveling to Los Angeles on Sunday.
“As some of you may know, the establishment is getting very nervous about our campaign,” said Sanders, an independent US senator from Vermont, taking the stage after musician Béla Fleck warmed up the crowd. with the banjo. “And tonight they’re going to turn on the television and find out that 10,000 people have been to the Boston Common, and they’re going to get even more nervous.”
The Sanders campaign later declared that more than 13,000 people were present.
In Massachusetts, Sanders will fight Warren, a US state senator, and delegates who once seemed unlikely given his advantage over the home state. But Sanders, the Democratic national leader, won first place in recent Massachusetts polls, surpassing Warren by 25% to 17% in a survey released Friday by WBUR.
– Joey Garrison
Candidates in South Carolina, says Super Tuesday
Early Saturday, Warren welcomed dozens of supporters to Columbia, South Carolina, to launch a voting campaign launch. The rally was Warren’s last stop in the state. She was scheduled to attend events in Arkansas and Texas later today.
Several other candidates also visited the states of Super Tuesday on Saturday. Sanders organized a rally in Massachusetts and was expected in Virginia later. Senator Amy Klobuchar was to be in Virginia, Maine and North Carolina. Buttigieg was heading to North Carolina and Tennessee.
Biden had planned to attend an event in North Carolina before returning to Colombia for a main evening at the Carolina Volleyball Center at the University of South Carolina.
Less than a mile away, Steyer also had to organize a main night party in Colombia. He organized an event in the same city Friday night with performances by rapper Juvenile, singer Yolanda Adams and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Steyer’s video dancing to “Back That Azz Up” at the event went viral on Twitter.
Former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg, who is not on the ballot on Saturday, was scheduled to travel to Virginia and North Carolina. His campaign announced on Saturday that he plans to host more than 2,400 events in 30 states before Super Tuesday.
– Grace Hauck
Opening of polling stations, start of voting
Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. in South Carolina. By late morning, voters were arriving regularly throughout the state, with officials expecting voting to resume around noon and later in the day.
In the rough and cold gymnasium of a college in Seneca, South Carolina, the four constituencies of the most populous city in the county of Oconee had already received more than 300 votes by 11 am.
Two voters, Connie Sanders and Barbara Eastman, are supporters of Trump but decided to vote because there is no Republican primary this year. Republican groups in the northern state have asked loyal Republicans to vote in the Democratic primary for candidates seen as weak as opposed to Trump.
Bernie Sanders “is more socialist than anything else and I disagree with most of his ideas … he just isn’t my cup of tea,” said Connie Sanders. She voted for Biden and Eastman for Steyer in order to prevent Bernie Sanders from participating in the general elections.
Meanwhile, in Allendale County, Paige Williams, 37, said she was worried about Trump’s education and character, but her most pressing concern was health care in rural county. of Allendale where the hospital is small and access to all medical services is limited and worsening.
Access to health care in a county without public transportation is a critical issue for residents, said Gwen Walker, an investigator at the Allendale Community Center.
It is the most democratic county in the state, but also the smallest and one of the poorest with a median income of $ 23,300, according to census data. It also has the highest black population in the state with 83% black or African American and 15% white, according to census data.
– Elizabeth LaFleur and Donna Isbell Walker, The Greenville News