Biden captures three more states
Past the halfway mark in delegates required
WASHINGTON — Joe Biden swept to victory in Florida, Illinois and Arizona on Tuesday, pulling away with a Democratic presidential primary upended by the coronavirus and building pressure on Bernie Sanders to abandon his campaign.
The former vice president’s third big night in as many weeks came amid uncertainty confronting the Democratic contest as it collides with efforts to slow the spread of the virus that have shut down large swaths of American life. Polls were shuttered in Ohio, and although balloting went ahead as scheduled in the three other states, election workers and voters reported problems.
Biden’s quest for his party’s nomination now seems well within reach.
He was declared the winner of last week’s Democratic presidential primary in Washington state on Monday, giving him victories in five out of six states that voted March 10. After nearly a week of counting votes, the former vice president held onto a small lead over Sanders that turned out to be insurmountable.
Of the state’s 89 pledged delegates, only 31 are allocated based on the statewide result. The remaining 58 are determined based on the results of the state’s 10 congressional districts, and those results might not be calculated until the election is certified by the secretary of state’s office, which could be as late as March 27.
Biden needs less than half of the remaining delegates. The party establishment has lined up behind him as the best option in November to try and unseat President Donald Trump.
Using a livestream to address supporters from his home state of Delaware, Biden seemed ready to move past the primary. He paid tribute to Sanders for advancing key issues such as affordable health care and combating climate change.
“Sen. Sanders and his supporters have brought a remarkable passion and tenacity to all of these issues. Together they have shifted the fundamental conversation in this country,” Biden said. “So let me say, especially to the young voters who have been inspired by Sen. Sanders, I hear you. I know what’s at stake. I know what we have to do.”
For his part, Sanders made no immediate move on Tuesday to contact Biden, according to people familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak for the candidates. During remarks early in the night, the Vermont senator said little about the future of the race and instead focused on the coronavirus outbreak.
As Biden and Sanders considered their next steps, Trump formally clinched the Republican presidential nomination after facing minimal opposition.
Sanders’ path to the nomination is quickly narrowing, and some Democrats are calling on him to drop out in the name of party unity. Advisers have said he is considering whether the political landscape could look different as the virus continues to reshape life across the country, though.