Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden delivers remarks at his primary night election event in Columbia, South Carolina.
Democratic presidential hopeful Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders gestures as he speaks during a rally at Valley High School in Santa Ana, California, February 21, 2020. – And then there were five.
The Democratic Party set records last year for the size and diversity of its field of candidates seeking to challenge President Donald Trump.
Fast-forward to Super Tuesday, when 14 states vote in what could be the most consequential day of the nomination race, and the party has just five hopefuls left in the fight.
Three have called it quits since February 29, 2020, while the top three remainings are all septuagenarian white men.
So where do the five candidates stand as the party struggles to find a leader who can unite its competing factions and defeat Trump in November? (Photos by JIM WATSON and RINGO CHIU / AFP)
BURLINGTON, United States (AFP) — Joe Biden was projected to win the Virginia primary and Bernie Sanders triumphed in his home state of Vermont as polls closed in the first of 14 states voting Tuesday to pick a Democratic challenger to President Donald Trump.
The leftist Sanders had been expecting a comfortable Super Tuesday win in his home state, with 16 delegates up for grabs, but centrist Joe Biden hoped to stall his momentum nationwide — starting in Virginia with its 99 delegates.
A total of 1,357 delegates are at stake on Tuesday, and Biden needs a good performance to prevent Sanders from taking a potentially insurmountable lead into the party’s nominating convention in July.
Polls in the remaining 12 states were to close in waves up until 11:00 pm Eastern time (0400 GMT Wednesday).
© Agence France-Presse