President Joe Biden has won the first official primary election in a season that has become increasingly predictable with each passing campaign.
Mr. Biden and the Democratic National Committee had successfully lobbied to buck tradition and designate South Carolina as the first state for the party’s presidential nomination, rather than Iowa and New Hampshire. On Saturday, Biden easily won more than 95% of the vote in the state where he began his 2020 campaign. Leading candidates Dean Phillips (Congressman from Minnesota) and Marianne Williamson (self-help author) fell far behind.
Donald Trump is expected to win the state’s Republican primary within two weeks, and Biden addressed this directly in a statement shortly after his victory was confirmed.
“In 2020, it was South Carolina voters who proved the experts wrong, breathed new life into our campaign, and put us on the path to winning the presidency.” said. “Now in 2024, the people of South Carolina have once again raised their voices. There’s no room.”
Although Biden’s victory in the state was a foregone conclusion, turnout showed enthusiasm for his candidacy, especially among many black voters. Leading up to the primary, there were some signs that his approval ratings among Black voters had declined since 2020. A new poll from The Associated Press and the Nolk Center for Public Affairs Research found his approval rating among black adults at 42%, a significant drop from the first poll. the year of his presidential inauguration.
In South Carolina, results were mixed. Democrats touted the early voting numbers, saying, “Even though results are still in, Black voters made up about 76% of early votes. Black voters made up 56% of primary voters in 2020. That’s a significant increase compared to 2017,” said Biden candidate Michael Tyler. – Harris campaign communications director.
But overall turnout tends to be significantly lower than in previous primaries, indicating that even the high stakes of a rematch between Biden and Trump may not be enough to draw voters to the incumbent. . The campaign hopes that recent strong economic data will boost Biden’s low approval ratings due to voter hesitation over his handling of the Israel-Gaza war, immigration and other domestic issues.
However, Phillips’ campaign received just over 2,000 votes and tried to take advantage of the turnout issue anyway.
“Congratulations to the President on winning the most votes tonight. But the lack of enthusiasm among voters for a rematch between Trump and Biden is reflected in every Democratic primary result this election,” Phillips said. he said in a statement Saturday. “Voters are disappointed that there is no choice beyond a threat to the fabric of the state or a good person to whom voters want to pass the baton.”
While the national situation is still not fully clear, pollsters and state Democrats on Saturday celebrated the success of the electoral process and South Carolina’s new status.
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Sam Skardon, chairman of the Charleston County Democratic Party, said he was glad volunteers and voters came “to come together and celebrate being number one in the nation and all the hard work that everyone has put in.” Told.
“Everyone here has volunteered long and hard to make this primary a success and keep us at the top of the Democratic election cycle for years to come,” he said. . “It means a lot to our party. It means a lot to our state. So thank you very much, everyone.”
DNC Chairman Jamie Harrison, himself a Black South Carolinian, spoke to reporters in Columbia on Saturday night, emphasizing the state’s new importance Saturday. ,” He said.
