New Delhi: US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump won decisive victories in state primaries that held Democratic and Republican nominating contests Tuesday — billed ‘Super Tuesday’ — setting the stage for a potential rematch in November.
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, however, prevented a clean sweep for Trump with a surprise victory in Vermont.
Biden won the Democratic candidate nominating contests in 15 states but lost in the territory of American Samoa by 11 votes.
Trump also took a commanding lead Tuesday to become the next Republican Party presidential nominee, winning 14 contests out of 15 primaries.
The only candidate left in the Republican primaries opposing Trump, Haley was able to win only one primary – the state of Vermont – signalling her campaign would be ending soon. Vermont was her second victory after Washington DC two days ago.
In his victory speech at his private club and residence, Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump called for “unity” within the Republican party, even as he decried the fate of the country if Biden is allowed to win in November.
Biden said in a statement that his likely general election opponent was “determined to destroy our democracy” and “driven by grievance and grift, focused on his own revenge and retribution, not the American people”.
Victorious candidates are awarded delegates, of whom they need a certain number to get their party’s official nod to run for president.
Biden wins big on Super Tuesday
The incumbent President won overwhelmingly in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.
Businessman Jason Palmer defeated Biden in the territory of American Samoa. The territory of American Samoa does not participate in the presidential elections, but has a say in the parties’ nominating processes.
His performance across the 15 state primaries saw him win at least 80 per cent or more support from the Democratic electorate in thirteen states. The only two states where he won less support Tuesday were Minnesota and Oklahoma, according to the Associated Press.
In Oklahoma, Marianne Williamson, one of his Democratic challengers, won 9.1 percent of the votes. In Minnesota, the number of Democrats who voted “uncommitted” stood at 18.9 percent.
Biden had also faced pushback in Michigan during its primary on 27 February, with 13.2 percent of voters choosing “uncommitted”.
The 2024 Democratic primary in Iowa was the first time Biden won the state in his four attempts, according to the Associated Press. This time he was running as the incumbent President of the country. Iowa was also traditionally the first caucus for the Democratic party – a role it lost in this election cycle.
Trump’s wins
The former President claimed victories in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia
The Associated Press projected that Trump won at least 993 delegates within the Republican Party. A total 1,215 delegates are required for him to be nominated as the party’s candidate for the elections in November 2024.
Tuesday’s results saw Haley trailing Trump with only 86 delegates allocated so far through the party’s primary process.
While Trump won many primaries handsomely, Haley was able to command at least a quarter of the votes in certain states – highlighting that a number of Republicans may not be keen to support the former President.
In Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, Minnesota, North Carolina, Utah and Virginia, Haley won at least 25 per cent or more support from the Republican electorate.
What are primaries?
The process of nominating US presidential candidates of parties is largely done under a primary system – where the number of votes they win from the electorate in each state primary leads to delegates being allocated to the candidate.
The party delegates meet at a national convention after the primaries are completed to nominate the party’s presidential candidate.
As stated earlier, to be nominated by the Republican party, a candidate must win at least 1,215 delegates from the state primaries.
For the Democratic party, the total number of delegates required to clinch the nomination is 1,968.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
Also read: Nikki Haley wins Vermont’s Republican primary