Biden projected to win his first ever presidential primary in South Carolina
It's taken former Vice President Joe Biden 33 years and three separate shots at the Democratic nomination, but he's finally won a Democratic presidential primary. Biden has been projected by multiple outlets to win Saturday's South Carolina Democratic presidential primary almost immediately after polls closed at 7 p.m. E.T.
That was fast! This is the first time, ever, former Vice President Joe Biden has won a primary (he ran for president twice before). https://t.co/e4toVPiVCO
— Tamara Keith (@tamarakeithNPR) March 1, 2020
With almost 90 percent of the votes accounted for, Biden has reeled in 48.4 percent of the electorate, well ahead of Sanders who comes in at 19.9 percent. Billionaire Tom Steyer is in third with 12 percent. Biden, so far, is the only candidate with any pledged delegates at 14.
The state was considered a crucial one for the vice president, who faded in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary before finishing a distant second to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the Nevada caucuses earlier this month. Biden's campaign considered South Carolina the candidate's firewall, so the victory looks like it will serve as a much needed boost going into Super Tuesday.
Exit polls are showing that Biden's win was reportedly strongly aided by African American voters and voters aged 45 and older.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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