Joe Biden wins Democratic primaries in 7 states, DC
WASHINGTON: Joe Biden is on the cusp of formally securing the Democratic presidential nomination after winning hundreds more delegates in primary contests in seven states and Washington, DC that tested the ability of the US to run elections while balancing a pandemic and sweeping social unrest.
Biden could lock down the nomination within the next week as West Virginia and Georgia hold primaries.
On Tuesday, voters across America were forced to navigate curfews, health concerns and National Guard troops — waiting in line hours after polls closed in some cases — after election officials dramatically reduced the number of in-person voting sites to minimise the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
Biden and President Donald Trump easily swept their respective primary contests that ranged from Maryland to Montana and featured the night’s biggest prize: Pennsylvania.
The two men are certain to face each other on the presidential ballot in November, yet party rules require them first to accumulate a majority of delegates in the monthslong state-by-state primary season.
Trump secured the Republican presidential nomination in March.
Pennsylvania, which offered Tuesday’s largest trove of delegates, also represented a significant test case for Republicans and D e mo c r a t s w o r k i n g to strengthen their operations in a premier general election battleground.