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Sanders, Biden prepare for primaries
The candidates need to make a strong showing to maintain their momentum in hopes of earning the Democratic nomination.
LOS ANGELES - As the world grapples with the growing ramifications of the coronavirus, many Democratic voters in six states across the country are primed to cast their ballot for one of two presidential hopefuls: Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders.
Biden, the former vice president, and Sanders, the U.S. senator from Vermont, are the two remaining Democratic candidates who have a realistic chance of earning the nomination ahead of the March 10 primaries. During these primaries, the candidates will seek to earn delegates from six different states: Michigan, Washington, Missouri, Mississippi, Idaho and North Dakota.
Ahead of Tuesday, Biden currently holds 664 delegates to Sanders’ 573. A total of 1,991 is needed to secure the nomination. Here is how many states each delegate has:
Michigan: 125
Washington: 89
Missouri: 68
Mississippi: 36
Idaho: 20
North Dakota: 14
Winning in one, several or all states is key to not only securing the delegates necessary to earn the nomination, but in also maintaining momentum leading up to the Democratic National Convention. In 2016, Sanders claimed victory in the Michigan primaries, although the nomination itself went to Hillary Clinton.
For Sanders to remain competitive in the 2020 race, he needs to earn enough delegates to take the lead over Biden or keep momentum with the former vice president heading into the election.
Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. congresswoman from Hawaii, is still in the race and holds two delegates, but it is almost an impossibility for her to secure the needed delegates for the nomination, let alone the momentum to win the presidency.
While Sanders was cited as the democratic favorite early on in the race, since his Super Tuesday resurgence, Biden has received powerful endorsements from other candidates who have dropped out, such as Mike Bloomberg and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
Elizabeth Warren, the U.S. senator from Massachusetts and a former candidate, has yet to endorse Biden or Sanders. Former U.S. President Barack Obama has yet to make an endorsement, and the 2016 Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, has indicated she has no plans to endorse a candidate.
Two states will hold Republican primaries on March 10, although it is almost certain that President Donald J. Trump will secure the nomination.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.