Biden back in race after South Carolina win
Dem contest heats up before Super Tuesday
WASHINGTON: Former vice president Joe Biden notched up a resounding win in the South Carolina primary on Saturday, reviving his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination and positioning him as the leading rival to front-runner Bernie Sanders.
The victory, powered by support from African-American voters, was the 77-year-old Mr Biden’s first in the race and may give him momentum going into “Super Tuesday” this week, when 14 states go to the polls.
“Just days ago the press and the pundits had declared this candidacy dead,” Mr Biden told hundreds of supporters at a victory rally in the South Carolina capital Columbia.
“You’ve launched our campaign on the path to defeating Donald Trump,” he said.
“We have the option of winning big or losing big,” Mr Biden added in a dig at Mr Sanders’ prospects against Trump in November’s election.
With 99% of the ballots counted, Mr Biden had 48.4% to 20% for the 78-yearold Mr Sanders, a self-described “democratic socialist”.
Billionaire activist Tom Steyer, who spent a whopping US$23 million (725.1 million baht) on advertising in South Carolina, was next with 11.4% but announced he was quitting the race even before the final results were published.
Former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg, who has been challenging Mr Biden for the centrist vote, had 8% while Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren had 7%.
A victory in South Carolina, where
African-Americans make up around 60% of the Democratic primary electorate, was seen as crucial to Mr Biden’s hopes of reviving his flagging campaign.
Mr Sanders has been the clear leader in the overall race, winning two of the first three contests and finishing in a virtual tie in Iowa with the 38-year-old Mr Buttigieg.
South Carolina was seen as a key test of Mr Sanders’ support among AfricanAmericans — crucial to a Democratic
Democratic US presidential candidate and former vice president Joe Biden takes photos with supporters at his South Carolina primary night rally in Columbia on Saturday. victory in November — but he only received the backing of around 15% of black voters while Mr Biden received 60% according to exit polls.
Mr Biden finished fourth in Iowa, fifth in New Hampshire and second in Nevada, and desperately needed a win in South Carolina ahead of Super Tuesday, which decides a third of the delegates who formally choose the Democratic nominee at the July party convention.
“The biggest question is whether this will slingshot Joe Biden into victory in some Super Tuesday states,” said Larry Sabato, director of the Centre for Politics at the University of Virginia.
Mr Sabato said Mr Biden’s win — his first in three attempts at securing the Democratic presidential nomination — also increases pressure on the other candidates to leave the race.
Mr Buttigieg, Sen Warren, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and billionaire Michael Bloomberg have all made it clear they will stick around at least through Super Tuesday.
“Super Tuesday is three days away and we’re looking forward to these big contests,” Sen Warren, who has been challenging Mr Sanders for the progressive vote, told supporters in Texas.
Mr Sanders congratulated Mr Biden on his victory at a campaign rally in Virginia but was confident of victory in the next primaries.
“The people on Super Tuesday and after are going to support this campaign,” he said. “We are a movement of millions of people.”
Mr Sanders also dismissed Democratic establishment fears that he would lose against Mr Trump, noting that dozens of polls have him beating the Republican incumbent.
Mr Trump also praised Mr Biden’s victory and called on Mr Bloomberg to quit the race.