The Florida, Illinois, and Arizona Democratic primaries were held Tuesday, and Joe Biden swept to victory in all three.
The Democratic presidential primary has been thrown into a surreal new world hit by the coronavirus pandemic. At the time of this blog post on Tuesday night, Biden is projected to have won Arizona, the last of the three states to report in.
And with that 3-way win, there is building pressure on Bernie Sanders to abandon his campaign.
Using a livestream to address supporters from his home state of Delaware, Biden seemed ready to move past the primary. He paid tribute to the Vermont senator for advancing key issues like affordable health care and combating climate change.
“Sen. Sanders and his supporters have brought a remarkable passion and tenacity to all of these issues. Together they have shifted the fundamental conversation in this country,” Biden said. “So let me say, especially to the young voters who have been inspired by Sen. Sanders, I hear you. I know what’s at stake. I know what we have to do.”
With the exception of North Dakota and the Northern Mariana Islands, Sanders hasn’t scored a victory since Super Tuesday on March 3. He made no immediate move on Tuesday to contact Biden, according to people familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak for the candidates. During remarks early in the night, Sanders said little about the future of the race and instead focused on the coronavirus outbreak.
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With 3 more victories, Biden pulls further away from Sanders
[WILL WEISSERT and BRIAN SLODYSKO]
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• Joe Biden wins Illinois Democratic primary
• Joe Biden wins Florida Democratic primary