Joe Biden Triumphs in Democratic Primaries in South Carolina, According to Projections

Joe Biden Triumphs in Democratic Primaries in South Carolina, According to Projections

Notice: President Joe Biden won the Democratic primaries in South Carolina on Saturday, the state that kicks off the party's electoral process, according to projections from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN. Biden virtually secured the victory as he faced no significant rivals.

Alongside him on the ballot were the names of Dean Phillips, a congressman from Minnesota, and Marianne Williamson, a self-help author who unsuccessfully ran in the 2020 primaries. Biden's wide lead over his opponents led US media, equipped with technology to estimate election results, to announce their projections about 25 minutes after the polls closed at 7:00 PM local time (00:00 GMT Sunday).

With the victory secured, Biden's real challenge in this race is to demonstrate his ability to mobilize the party's base, particularly the African American community, which represents 60 percent of the Democratic electorate in South Carolina. The best way to gauge enthusiasm for Biden will be through the turnout results, which will be made public at the end of the count. Biden was not in South Carolina on Saturday to celebrate the victory. However, in the last month, he has visited three churches in the black community in the state, and his campaign has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on radio and TV ads to reach African American voters.

The Significance of South Carolina

The significance of South Carolina lies in it officially kicking off the Democratic contest leading up to the November elections, marking the first time Biden has personally faced the polls since his victory over former President Donald Trump (2017-2021) in the 2020 elections. Despite its symbolic power, South Carolina will only allocate 55 delegates out of the nearly 2,000 Biden needs to officially proclaim himself as the Democratic candidate for the November elections, where he could face Trump again, the favorite to be the Republican candidate. The Republican primaries, where Trump will compete against former US ambassador to the UN and ex-governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley, are scheduled for February 24th.

South Carolina in the November Elections

Despite the Democratic Party's investment in South Carolina, this state is not at stake in the November elections, as it is considered a conservative stronghold that has not voted for the Democratic presidential candidate since 1976, with Jimmy Carter (1977-1981).