The South Carolina Democratic primary was held on Saturday, February 3, and reportedly, President Joe Biden was expected to easily win. This would give him a convincing victory in a state where he had gambled heavily.
Biden's victory follows his historic support for shifting the early Democratic primary voting location from New Hampshire to South Carolina, an initiative he spearheaded in an attempt to increase the representation of underrepresented groups.
Supporters of Biden ran a write-in campaign in New Hampshire and won the January primary. However, the Democratic Party did not formally endorse the race, so Biden did not get any delegates from that state. Thus, his triumph in South Carolina becomes his first success in an official primary, according to The Hill.
High Expectations
South Carolina had great hopes for Biden.
The New York Times reports that Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, a key ally of the president in Congress, predicted that if Biden were successful, at least 70% of the eligible voters would cast ballots. "I hope we get 150,000 people to vote, and of the 150 to 200,000 people, I would like to see Joe Biden get 70, 75 percent of that."
With this victory, Biden proved that his efforts to improve the state were worthwhile. Even while South Carolina is unlikely to be a deciding factor in the general election, his win might give Democrats a boost before November. Vice President Kamala Harris and First Lady Jill Biden were sent to South Carolina by Biden to mobilize voters during their two January trips to the state.
It also disproves the claims made by Biden's main opponents, such as Minnesota Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson, who have questioned his age and popularity rating.
It seemed like Biden was trying to get back at the South Carolina voters who helped him get the nomination by focusing on the state during his first term. Notably, South Carolina was a big deal for him in 2020. Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn's crucial support helped him win the South Carolina primary, which turned around his campaign.
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Challenging Trump
Among Democrats, Biden won South Carolina, which bodes well for his general election campaign against former President Donald Trump, who is widely expected to face off against him.
This is Biden's second victory this primary season. His first came last month in New Hampshire, which was decided by a novel write-in campaign.
If the hypothetical presidential race were to go head-to-head, Trump would have a 2.2 percentage point advantage, according to the combined surveys from Decision Desk HQ and The Hill.
