Biden Scores a Big Win in Michigan, Delivering Blow to Sanders
Joe Biden won the biggest delegate prize of Tuesday's Democratic primary, seizing the key battleground state of Michigan - a state that had helped propel Bernie Sanders’ insurgent candidacy four years ago. The former vice president's victory there, as well as Missouri, Mississippi, and Idaho dealt a serious blow to Sanders, who is urgently seeking to jump-start his flagging campaign.
"This campaign is taking off and I believe we're gonna do well from this point on," Biden announced.
Sanders did win North Dakota and is still waiting for results from Washington State.
But Biden's wins in Mississippi, Missouri, and Michigan again showed his strength with working-class voters and African Americans, who are vital to winning the Democratic nomination.
Both men had focused intensely on Michigan. That's where Sanders scored an upset that lent much-needed credibility to his 2016 primary challenge of Hillary Clinton - and where President Donald Trump's victory four years was so narrow that Democrats are desperate to show they have the strength to flip it back. Biden made a final push there in recent days, rallying autoworkers and touting a fresh round of high-profile endorsements.
On Tuesday evening, Biden and Sanders canceled campaign events scheduled in Cleveland, Ohio, amid coronavirus concerns. Their decision to cancel events in Ohio, which votes next week and awards 136 delegates, suggests the coronavirus could upend the Democratic primary at a pivotal time in the race for both candidates. Sanders is trying to regain some momentum in the latest round of voting Tuesday night, while the former vice president is looking to further pad his delegate lead.
Both candidates scored major endorsements in recent days, including Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson for Sanders and Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) for Biden.
The two candidates have recently been battling over Sanders' "Medicare for All" proposal as the coronavirus dominates the headlines.
"Think about the insanity of a system where, today, somebody wakes up and maybe they think they have the symptoms of coronavirus, yet they cannot afford to go to a doctor," Sanders said.
"His 'Medicare for All' push which would be a long and expensive slog, if it could get done at all," Biden remarked.
Sanders disputes the idea he could drop out of he doesn't win Michigan. But he also faces other tough battles with Biden in upcoming key primaries, including Florida, Ohio, and Illinois on March 17.
CBN News will be covering the upcoming Democratic primaries as well. Be sure to check CBNNews.com for the latest election results.
