President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are still leading the race for the White House following the voting in 16 states and American Samoa.
After Tuesday's primaries, a number of important down-ballot races began to take form. Here is a summary of the main events.
Trump Secures Early Wins
Trump continued to defeat former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, his only remaining serious GOP opponent. He is projected to win in 12 GOP Super Tuesday contests against Haley.
These states include California, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Biden Sweeps Super Tuesday
Biden, who is up against challengers Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson in his reelection campaign, also had a strong showing on Super Tuesday.
ABC News predicts victories in 15 states, including delegate-rich California and Texas, along with Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia.
However, Biden experienced his initial defeat in the nominating race on Tuesday when little-known candidate Jason Palmer emerged victorious in the Democratic presidential caucuses for American Samoa, as confirmed by the local Democratic Party chair to ABC News.
With 99% of the expected vote reporting, Palmer led with 56% of the vote, followed by Biden with 44%, though the overall vote total was fewer than 100 ballots between both candidates and Biden's campaign sought to shrug off the outcome as unique.
On a different note, the "uncommitted" choice in the Democratic contests, previously utilized as a protest against Biden's position on the Israel-Hamas conflict in Michigan's primary, garnered attention in other states as well. Minnesota notably saw over 45,000 votes cast for this option.
Biden, Trump Face Vulnerability
However, nestled within Trump's frequently strong statewide wins, there were indications of susceptibility. He exhibited similar vulnerabilities in the swingy suburban areas that led to his defeat in the 2020 election.
The presidential primaries, along with a series of congressional contests in key districts, many still undecided, provided a comprehensive view of the voters' preferences in both parties leading up to the 2024 election. Here are five key points to consider from the results:
Approximately 33% of the country cast their votes on Tuesday, yet there was minimal excitement. News outlets reached out to state after state immediately after polls closed, continuing the trend that began when Mr. Trump won over 50 percent in Iowa's first caucuses.
Nikki Haley Scores Vermont Surprise
According to the Hill, Haley is expected to have secured a win on Tuesday in Vermont, marking her second victory against Trump following her win in the District of Columbia's primary over the weekend.
The campaign stated in a release that the results from Tuesday, where she garnered over 30% of the partial vote counts in certain states, indicate a significant portion of Republican primary voters are voicing serious apprehensions about Trump.
Haley achieved her first state victory in Vermont and she also won in Washington, DC, over the weekend. However, that particular island was surrounded by numerous Trump victories in over a dozen other states, such as Alabama, where he received over 80 percent of the vote.
On Tuesday, Haley had very little to work with, so she chose not to make any public statements. Instead, she watched the returns in Charleston, SC, behind closed doors. According to an aide, music was playing loudly and the atmosphere was positive, indicating that her campaign was focused on conveying a message while also gaining delegates.
Despite Haley still being in the race, Trump has mainly focused his campaign efforts on primary states that are also key battlegrounds for November. Last weekend, he traveled to North Carolina before Super Tuesday and is planning to visit Georgia this weekend before its March 12 primary.
GOP Lawmakers Silent on Who They Will Endorse
Moreover, Republican senators from Super Tuesday states who are not endorsing any candidate in the 2024 GOP primary chose not to disclose their voting preferences.
Even though Trump has received endorsements from over half of the Senate Republican Conference, some members have stated they will not make a decision until the general election. Among the representatives of states voting on Super Tuesday, none of them disclosed their preferred candidate.
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), whose bipartisan border security deal faced opposition from his party last month, mentioned that he voted over the weekend. He couldn't contain his laughter when questioned about his voting choice.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), known for his bipartisan approach, shared that he voted for a diverse group of candidates in his state's primary. He chose not to provide further details.
TPer Washington Examiner, the Senate GOP conference includes numerous centrist and establishment Republicans recognized for their bipartisan deal-making. Some of Trump's GOP critics, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), managed to establish productive working connections with the former president during his time in office, but many of those relationships have soured since then.
