Sophia Michaels
It wasn’t so long ago — barely a week, actually — that we were wondering if Bernie Sanders might be unstoppable after he followed up his primary win in New Hampshire by dominating the Nevada caucuses.
How quickly things change.
Despite disappointing performances in the first three primary states, Joe Biden bested the competition in South Carolina by well over a two-to-one margin, leading the Democratic establishment to congeal around the most viable moderate remaining. A day after he won, Iowa caucuses winner Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the race. A day later, so did Amy Klobuchar. Both of them traveled to Dallas Monday night to endorse Biden, as did Beto O’Rourke, who took the former vice president out to Whataburger following a rally at a local honky-tonk. The scramble appeared to be a coordinated, last-ditch effort to prevent Sanders, a democratic socialist who has openly criticized the party, from winning the nomination. It just may work.
Texas and its 228 delegates is one of the biggest prizes on Super Tuesday (California, with 415, is the biggest), so far the most consequential day of the Democratic primary. Thirteen other states and American Samoa will also cast their ballots on Tuesday, representing over a third of the 1,991 delegate needed to secure the nomination. Below is what we know so far based on vote counts and exit polling. This post will be updated as results continue to come in.
ALABAMA
Projected Winner: Joe Biden
Key Stats: Biden won 72 percent of the black vote, 76 percent of seniors, and 70 percent of people who most want a candidate to unite the country.
Delegates Available: 52
AMERICAN SAMOA
Projected Winner: Mike Bloomberg
Key Stats: First win for the billionaire. Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard finished second.
Delegates Available: 6
ARKANSAS
Projected Winner: Joe Biden
Delegates Available: 31
CALIFORNIA
Projected Winner: TBD
Delegates Available: 415
COLORADO
Projected Winner: Sanders
Key Stat: Sanders won 45 percent of the (predominantly Latino) non-white vote.
Delegates Available: 67
MAINE
Projected Winner: TBD
Key Stat: 72 percent of Mainers want Medicare for All, and nearly half of those voted for Sanders, compared to 21 percent for Warren and 20 percent for Biden.
Delegates Available: 24
MASSACHUSETTS
Projected Winner: Joe Biden
Key Stat: Women made up 56 percent of primary turnout, and the highest margin of those, 30 percent, supported Elizabeth Warren.
Delegates Available: 91
MINNESOTA
Projected Winner: Joe Biden
Key Stats: Klobuchar voters heard the message about her withdrawal and endorsement; she earned low single digits.
Delegates Available: 75
NORTH CAROLINA
Projected Winner: Joe Biden
Key Stats: Biden won 63 percent of the black vote, as well as 48 percent of the Hispanic vote, besting Sanders’ 31 percent. Sanders won 54 percent of youth vote, but 50 percent of voters over 45 broke for Biden, including 55 percent of seniors. 55 percent of North Carolina primary voters supported Medicare for All, but those who don’t broke strongly for Biden, 57 percent.
Delegates Available: 110
OKLAHOMA
Projected Winner: Joe Biden
Key Stat: Biden won with voters of all ideological stripes, except “very liberal” voters who backed Sanders with 51 percent.
Delegates Available: 37
TENNESSEE
Projected Winner: Joe Biden
Key Stat: Biden won 65 percent of voters who decided in the last few days.
Delegates Available: 64
TEXAS
Projected Winner: TBD
Delegates Available: 228
UTAH
Projected Winner: TBD
Delegates Available: 29
VIRGINIA
Projected Winner: Joe Biden
Key Stats: Biden won 71 percent of the black vote and a strong plurality of Hispanics, 47 percent. Biden also won 65 percent of voters over 45, and 76 percent of seniors.
Delegates Available: 99
VERMONT
Projected Winner: Bernie Sanders
Key Stats: Sanders dominated in his home state, winning voters under 45 with 72 percent compared to Biden’s 4 percent.
Delegates Available: 16
Though Biden has taken a few of the early states, it’s important to keep in mind that some of the West Coast states that will report later, such as California and its whopping 415 delegates, are leaning toward Sanders. So don’t go assuming the white guy closing in on 80 is going to be the Democrats’ nominee. Actually, that’s probably still a safe bet.
Featured via: Rollingstone
