COLUMBIA: US President Joe Biden has won the South Carolina Democratic primary — the first officially sanctioned contest of the party’s nominating season — with early returns showing him dominating two other candidates, western media reported on Sunday.
According to Edison Research projections Biden faced little opposition, the vote was being closely watched amid concerns regarding his popularity, especially among Black voters.
President Biden won around 33,000 votes, way ahead of his two main rivals, US Representative Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson.
US Elections: Biden Vows to Make Trump a Loser
In a victory statement, the Biden campaign stated: “In 2020, it was the voters of South Carolina who proved the experts wrong, breathed new life into our election campaign, and set us on the path to winning the White House.
“Now in 2024, the inhabitants of South Carolina have spoken again and I have no hesitation that you have set us on the path to winning the presidency again — and making Trump a loser — again,” the campaign said.
Shortly before the elections in South Carolina closed, President Biden arrived in Los Angeles, where he was likely to meet with Black entertainers.
Four years ago, it was Black vote in the state’s primary that helped ignite his campaign and ultimately propel Biden to the White House.
President Biden, an unpopular incumbent who faces little race for his party’s nomination in subsequent state primaries leading up to the Nov. 5 US polls, was on track for an overwhelming win in South Carolina.
Besides campaign expresses fear that South Carolina’s heavily Black electorate might not be energized this time around due to some reasons.
Donald Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination to challenge President Biden in the general election.
