Joe Biden won the Democratic primary in South Carolina, in a victory that relaunched his presidential campaign before Super Tuesday on March 3.
While the polls were completed on Saturday evening, the Associated Press and all the major American television channels have projected, on the basis of exit surveys, that the former vice-president of Barack Obama had won the primary, stimulated by the strong support of African-Americans.
A victory in South Carolina injects new energy into Biden’s presidential candidacy, after disappointingly finishing fourth in Iowa caucuses and fifth in New Hampshire primary earlier this month.
Biden was second in Nevada caucuses last week, but was more than 16 points behind Vermont senator Bernie Sanders. A self-proclaimed socialist democrat, Mr. Sanders has risen in national polls in recent weeks and is considered the favorite to win the wealthy states of California and Texas on Super Tuesday, when Democrats from more than 14 states and territories will present themselves. their ballots.
South Carolina was seen as a crucial test for the Democrats vying to face Donald Trump in November. A significantly higher proportion of Democratic primary voters in South Carolina are African-American than in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada. Democratic presidential candidates who have won the support of African Americans have historically won the party’s presidential nomination.
For months, the Biden campaign maintained that winning South Carolina was the key to his candidacy for the Democratic nomination. He said victory in the state would propel him to new Super Tuesday successes, especially in southern states with large numbers of African American voters, such as Alabama, Arkansas and Carolina North. It has long been popular with many African-Americans, in part because of its association with Mr. Obama.
Biden received a major boost earlier this week when he received approval from Jim Clyburn, the highest-ranking African-American in the House of Representatives and longtime Democratic Congressman in South Carolina .
Friday, after seeing Mr. Biden at a hair salon in Columbia, South Carolina, Jerial Dingle, a truck driver, and Gerard Thomas, a retired line worker, both said they would vote for him.
“The person we currently have in place only concerns himself and himself. Joe Biden is not like that, “said Thomas, 61, who described Mr. Biden as” a God-fearing man “.
He added, “It’s not about color or race, it’s about who does the best for us.”
Mr. Dingle, 55, agreed, saying, “He’s dealing with matters of the heart. Tome [Joe Biden] has the heart. “
Biden, who was widely regarded as the Democratic favorite for much of the past year, has nevertheless seen his lead in South Carolina tighten in recent weeks. Sanders has gained support, particularly among young voters, and the billionaire environmental activist, filmed by hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, has reaped the benefits of spending millions of dollars on advertising and a local operation in the state.
Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, was not on the ballot in South Carolina on Saturday, after skipping the first votes in favor of focusing on Super Tuesday. Mr. Bloomberg bet his presidential offer on being a moderate alternative to Mr. Sanders. But the poor performance of the former mayor’s debate, coupled with Mr. Biden’s strong performance in South Carolina, have raised questions about the viability of his campaign.
Mr. Trump, who calls Mr. Biden “Sleepy Joe” and Mr. Bloomberg “Mini Mike”, weighed in Saturday evening.
“Sleepy Joe Biden’s victory in the Democratic primary in South Carolina should be the end of Mini Mike Bloomberg’s joke on a campaign,” the president said on Twitter.
“After the worst debating performance in the history of presidential debates, Mini Mike has now divided his very few voters, taking away a lot!”
Joe Biden won the Democratic primary in South Carolina, in a victory that relaunched his presidential campaign before Super Tuesday on March 3.
While the polls were completed on Saturday evening, the Associated Press and all the major American television channels have projected, on the basis of exit surveys, that the former vice-president of Barack Obama had won the primary, stimulated by the strong support of African-Americans.
A victory in South Carolina injects new energy into Biden’s presidential candidacy, after disappointingly finishing fourth in Iowa caucuses and fifth in New Hampshire primary earlier this month.
Biden was second in Nevada caucuses last week, but was more than 16 points behind Vermont senator Bernie Sanders. A self-proclaimed socialist democrat, Mr. Sanders has risen in national polls in recent weeks and is considered the favorite to win the wealthy states of California and Texas on Super Tuesday, when Democrats from more than 14 states and territories will present themselves. their ballots.
South Carolina was seen as a crucial test for the Democrats vying to face Donald Trump in November. A significantly higher proportion of Democratic primary voters in South Carolina are African-American than in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada. Democratic presidential candidates who have won the support of African Americans have historically won the party’s presidential nomination.
For months, the Biden campaign maintained that winning South Carolina was the key to his candidacy for the Democratic nomination. He said victory in the state would propel him to new Super Tuesday successes, especially in southern states with large numbers of African American voters, such as Alabama, Arkansas and Carolina North. It has long been popular with many African-Americans, in part because of its association with Mr. Obama.
Biden received a major boost earlier this week when he received approval from Jim Clyburn, the highest-ranking African-American in the House of Representatives and longtime Democratic Congressman in South Carolina .
Friday, after seeing Mr. Biden at a hair salon in Columbia, South Carolina, Jerial Dingle, a truck driver, and Gerard Thomas, a retired line worker, both said they would vote for him.
“The person we currently have in place only concerns himself and himself. Joe Biden is not like that, “said Thomas, 61, who described Mr. Biden as” a God-fearing man “.
He added, “It’s not about color or race, it’s about who does the best for us.”
Mr. Dingle, 55, agreed, saying, “He’s dealing with matters of the heart. Tome [Joe Biden] has the heart. “
Biden, who was widely regarded as the Democratic favorite for much of the past year, has nevertheless seen his lead in South Carolina tighten in recent weeks. Sanders has gained support, particularly among young voters, and the billionaire environmental activist, filmed by hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, has reaped the benefits of spending millions of dollars on advertising and a local operation in the state.
Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, was not on the ballot in South Carolina on Saturday, after skipping the first votes in favor of focusing on Super Tuesday. Mr. Bloomberg bet his presidential offer on being a moderate alternative to Mr. Sanders. But the poor performance of the former mayor’s debate, coupled with Mr. Biden’s strong performance in South Carolina, have raised questions about the viability of his campaign.
Mr. Trump, who calls Mr. Biden “Sleepy Joe” and Mr. Bloomberg “Mini Mike”, weighed in Saturday evening.
“Sleepy Joe Biden’s victory in the Democratic primary in South Carolina should be the end of Mini Mike Bloomberg’s joke on a campaign,” the president said on Twitter.
“After the worst debating performance in the history of presidential debates, Mini Mike has now divided his very few voters, taking away a lot!”