Biden vs. Sanders Round 2: Mini Tuesday in focus
The two lead Democratic candidates face off in the next round of states.
Super Tuesday changed everything — and many in the political world still foresee a chaotic few months ahead of the nomination. With six states voting on “Mini Tuesday,” March 10, this is where the race stands now.
Bernie Sanders
Despite being down, Senator Bernie Sanders still holds a sizable coalition within the Democratic Party. A disappointing Super Tuesday for him may not be enough to slow his campaign down. If Bernie can somehow secure a few wins Tuesday night, then his campaign promises may be alive for the next few weeks. Sanders has currently secured 575 total delegates in the race thus far.
On the flip side of the now two-candidate race, former Vice President Joe Biden garnered many coveted endorsements last week. Ahead of Super Tuesday, three major candidates who ended their bids for the White House, including former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and former Representative Beto O’Rourke, backed Biden.
The move was a powerful demonstration from the moderate wing of the Democratic Party — with various endorsements, Biden shot up in polling and, more importantly, delegate count.
Biden, now the definitive front-runner of the race, still faces headwinds with Latinx and young voters, two demographics his opponent has managed to take the vast majority of. Despite this, Biden still managed impressive finishes in states with large-and-growing Hispanic populations, like Texas and Virginia.
Biden is behind in funding efforts, though catching up quickly. In February, Sanders’ campaign raised a whopping $46 million compared to Biden, who raised just $18 million over the same period. However, Democratic donors are coming to the former vice president’s rescue. The architect behind former President Barack Obama’s 2012 fundraising effort has called on over 700 bundlers to back Biden’s campaign, meaning a significant amount of contributions could start flowing in.
Tonight, states like Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Idaho, Washington and (perhaps, most importantly) Michigan, vote. That represents approximately 352 delegates who will be awarded on the basis of the results of these primaries (North Dakota is technically a caucus, but in many ways it will vote like a primary).
Polling indicates a tight race between the two candidates. For instance, in Washington, it is a dead heat, with Biden and Bernie each tied at 47% of the total vote, according to FiveThirtyEight. It is also close in Idaho, although Biden fairs better at 47% to Sanders’ 43%.
Also voting tonight: Democrats Abroad, or transcontinental absentee ballots from the Democratic party. Voting for Democrats Abroad began on March 3 and will be tallied tonight along with domestic results.
But the race everyone is sure to be watching is in Michigan. Michigan’s demographics better align with a candidate like Sanders, however the Wolverine State may not show out for him like it did in 2016. Sanders narrowly edged out Hillary Clinton in 2016 to win the state, however polling indicates that Biden could take the state by a wide margin. Many pollsters point out that the situation is eerily similar to 2016. A loss in Michigan could spell doom for the Sanders campaign, but if he can defy early indications, then Sanders may be in a good position going into the next few primaries.
The first polls closing are in Mississippi, Missouri and North Dakota at 8 p.m. E.T.
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