South Carolina, US

US President Joe Biden secured a decisive victory in the South Carolina Democratic primary on Saturday (Feb 3), as projected by Western media. This triumph marks the beginning of his journey towards securing the Democratic nomination as the US president throws his hat in the presidential elections this year with hopes of getting re-elected.  

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The win in South Carolina also moved Biden closer to a likely November rematch against former US President Donald Trump. According to the Associated Press, Biden won all 55 of the state’s Democratic delegates.

It was the first official Democratic primary for the November election after his win in the write-in campaign in New Hampshire.  

Biden was running the South Carolina Primary against Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips and author Democrat Marianne Deborah Williamson. After securing the win, Biden said, “In 2020, it was the voters of South Carolina who proved the pundits wrong, breathed new life into our campaign, and set us on the path to winning the presidency." 

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“Now in 2024, the people of South Carolina have spoken again and I have no doubt that you have set us on the path to winning the Presidency again and making Donald Trump a loser, again," he added. 

South Carolina - A racially diverse US state  

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Biden was able to sway voters in the US state which has a racially diverse population. In addition to the Black community, the state is home to a Hispanic population. While Iowa and New Hampshire, where Trump secured win in Republican primaries, are often noted for their predominantly white population. This demographic characteristic has implications for their roles in the United States presidential primary process.

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In the 2020 Democratic primary, Joe Biden secured nearly 49 percent of the vote, triumphing in every county. Black voters constituted 56 percent of the electorate in that primary, and Biden secured 61 percent of their support.

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Democrats were competing for 55 delegates. The polling stations were closed at 7 pm Eastern Time throughout South Carolina. Now, the Republicans are set to hold their upcoming GOP primary on February 24. 

(With inputs from agencies)