More than a third of Democratic delegates to be decided on Super Tuesday
Democratic Party voters in more than a dozen US states will head to the polls to vote in today’s “Super Tuesday” primary elections.
A third of the delegates to the July 13-16 Democratic National Convention will be awarded today, a total of 1,357 of the 1,617 needed to clinch the nomination.
In the delegate count, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is in the lead with 56 delegates. After a crucial victory in the state of South Carolina, former vice president Joe Biden follows with 48 delegates.
While Biden’s South Carolina performance has reenergised his campaign, he still faces an uphill battle in stemming Sanders’s success. In two of the largest delegate-awarding states voting today—Texas and California—Senator Sanders has consistently led in the polls. Likewise, after poor primary performances Iowa and New Hampshire, Biden has dipped in popularity, with Sanders averaging about ten plus percentage points ahead of him.
While Biden may perform well today in states like North Carolina and Virginia, it is more likely Sanders will take the day and move closer to securing the nomination, or at least preventing any Democrat from achieving a majority. If Biden significantly underperforms—namely, that he falls short of stopping Sanders from closing in on a majority—this could see the end of his presidential bid.
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