Minutes after the polls closed in South Carolina, Joe Biden was declared the winner according to CNN.
“Earlier today, Biden, speaking at a rally, confidently proclaimed that “the full comeback starts in South Carolina.”
“Today is a great day because I’ll tell you what the full comeback starts in South Carolina and then goes here on Tuesday,” he said earlier today. “I mean it. We’re going to win South Carolina, and the next step is North Carolina. We do enough, we’re going to win here as well and then it’s a straight path to the nomination for President of the United States of America.”
The Washington Post reports:
“The win could pump new life into Biden’s struggling campaign, as he becomes the first candidate to score a clear-cut victory against Sanders this year, boosting his efforts to become the major alternative to Sanders. Still, Sanders (I-Vt.) is polling strongly in several of the Super Tuesday states that vote this week, and it could yet prove difficult for any of his competitors to catch up.“
Billionaire Tom Steyer decided he’d seen enough and announced he’s pulling out.
There are calls for some of the other candidates to reassess their campaigns and possibly drop out after Super Tuesday if not before. The race is quickly shaping up to be a two candidate sprint between Biden and Bernie Sanders.
Michael Bloomberg will need a strong showing on Tuesday night. The former New York City mayor has spent $500 million but has yet to appear on a ballot. That changes on Super Tuesday.
Biden had nearly half of all votes in South Carolina, more than double Bernie Sanders, who looks to have a lock on second place.
