Biden quickly wins South Carolina Democratic presidential primary

South Carolina once again gave President Biden a ballot box victory.

The Associated Press made a call Saturday, minutes after polls closed in the Palmetto State at 7 p.m. ET, predicting the president would win South Carolina’s 2024 Democratic primary.

Mr. Biden has chosen Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, the most likely candidate in the Democratic primary, and Marianne Williamson, a best-selling author and spiritual advisor who is running for the White House for the second year in a row. This quick prediction was not surprising as it was expected to break.

For the first time, South Carolina, where black voters play a large role in the state’s Democratic politics, leads the party’s official presidential nominating calendar.

Biden aims to strengthen support among black voters at polling places

Biden engineered an upset of the Democratic National Committee’s long-standing nominating calendar to put the Palmetto State in first place.

Biden: “If you ever doubt that we have the power to change America, remember this: You’ve proven it. You’re the reason I’m president. That’s right. You are the reason why Kamala Harris is a historic vice president,” he said last weekend, speaking at a major gathering of the South Carolina Democratic Party.

DNC Chair Nikki Haley, D-South Carolina, says ‘we’re not bailing you out’

Four years ago, the then-former vice president was reeling after finishing fourth in the Iowa caucuses and fifth in the New Hampshire primary.

Biden bounced back, finishing a distant second to Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Nevada caucuses, and also won a landslide victory in the South Carolina primary. Biden’s victory over his remaining Democratic rivals was largely fueled by the support of longtime Democratic congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina, who helped him win the party’s nomination and ultimately gave him momentum toward winning the White House.

On February 29, 2020, former Vice President Joe Biden was joined by his wife Jill and South Carolina House of Representatives Jim Clyburn as Mr. Biden gave his victory speech after winning an overwhelming victory in the Democratic presidential primary in South Carolina. Deputies stand aside. (Fox News)

For years, the NDP has not been representative of the party as a whole because Iowa and New Hampshire, states that have led the national party’s nomination calendar for half a century, have large white populations and few major metropolitan areas. I’ve been accusing them of not having it. Nevada and South Carolina, which voted third and fourth on the calendar in recent cycles, are far more diverse than Iowa or New Hampshire.

Republicans did not make any major changes to the 2024 date, but the DNC last year overwhelmingly approved Biden’s proposed date that would shift South Carolina to the top spot. The president and supporters of the new calendar argued that it would empower minority voters whom Democrats have long trusted and sometimes taken for granted.

Haley says her goal is to ‘close the gap’ with Trump in South Carolina Republican primary

Many political analysts also saw the move as a sign of Biden’s gratitude to Clyburn and South Carolina for the role they played in the 2020 election.

Iowa ultimately complied with the DNC’s request, while New Hampshire complied with a half-century-old state law requiring presidential primaries to be prioritized.

New Hampshire’s primary elections for both parties were held on January 23, with the Democratic Party’s campaign not being sanctioned by the DNC and no contest for delegates.

Biden has not applied to have his name placed on New Hampshire’s primary ballot and has not campaigned in the state. But thanks to a well-funded write-in effort by top Granite State Democrats, he still won more than 60% of the vote in the race.

Biden is on the ballot in the Palmetto State, and South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Cristale Spain said Friday that the president has an advantage in the state, with which he has long ties. “It’s not contested,” he told Fox News. Competitiveness. “

He then spotlighted the importance of voting first on the calendar, saying, “It means that for the first time in the history of this country, Black voters will have their voices heard first in the process. “It’s not about voters in the South being able to vote,” she said. “First. Local voters will be the first to vote. So this is a huge deal.”

Vice President Kamala Harris headlines a Biden/Harris reelection campaign event on the eve of the state’s Democratic presidential primary in Orangeburg, South Carolina, on February 2, 2024. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

On the eve of the primary, Vice President Harris emphasized the importance of the state’s new leadership position.

“South Carolinians, you are the nation’s first primary, and President Biden and I are counting on you,” Harris said at a campaign event at South Carolina State University.

“Are you ready to make your voice heard?” the vice chancellor asked a crowd gathered at the historically black college Friday.

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The president enjoys the support of the DNC as he seeks a second term in the White House, and back in his home state, national party chairman Jamie Harrison told Fox News Digital from Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday morning. Part of Biden’s mission is to: The primary was about consolidating support from black voters, a key Democratic constituency that gave him a boost four years ago.

“This president wanted to send a signal to Black people, not just here in South Carolina, but across the country, that we see you, we hear you, and you matter. That’s why it’s important to the president, the vice president, and the president.” The first lady and second gentleman come to the states and show up even though they know they’re going to win.. And they will win decisively,” Harrison said.

Get the latest on the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more with Fox News Digital’s Election Hub.