US elections: Biden wins South Carolina Democratic primary
Joe Biden, the President of the United States, has achieved a resounding victory in the Democratic primary in South Carolina.
With the tabulation of nearly all ballots from Saturday’s election, projections from the BBC’s US partner CBS indicate that he has captured all 55 pledged delegates.
This primary marks the inaugural official Democratic primary in anticipation of the upcoming presidential election later this year.
Facing minimal opposition within his party, President Biden has committed to ensuring that Republican Donald Trump faces defeat.
Reflecting on how South Carolina voters revitalized his 2020 campaign, President Biden expressed certainty that they would propel him toward victory in the 2024 presidential race.
Among the Democratic contenders, Marianne Williamson and Dean Phillips lagged far behind President Biden, garnering only 2% of the preliminary vote count each.
With over a quarter of South Carolina’s population being black, it was the support of black voters that propelled President Biden to his first victory in securing the Democratic nomination in 2020.
Addressing a predominantly black audience in January, President Biden acknowledged their pivotal role, asserting, “You’re the reason I’m president. You’re the reason Donald Trump is a loser, and you’re the reason we’re gonna win and beat him again.”
President Biden formally declared his intention to seek re-election in 2024 in April 2023, citing the nation’s critical juncture and his need for additional time to “complete this task.”
President Biden pushed hard to change his party’s rules so that South Carolina would be the first state to vote in the nomination process.
A Biden campaign adviser told the BBC the move was intended “to make sure the process reflected the diversity of our party”.