WASHINGTON, Feb 4:
Incumbent US President Joe Biden has secured a decisive win in the Democratic presidential primary in the crucial state of South Carolina, notching his first official victory in his largely unobstructed path to become his party’s nominee for a possible rematch against Donald Trump in the November 5 election.
It was the first official primary of the ruling party. South Carolina is the state that launched Biden to the Democratic nomination four years ago.
Biden, 81, who is seeking re-election in the November presidential elections, received 96.2 per cent of the votes in Saturday’s primary, with almost non-existent Marianne Williamson getting just 2.1 per cent of the votes.
Biden’s decisive win, which was called almost immediately after polls closed, was not a surprise given his lack of a formidable challenger.
Biden, 81, faces concerns within his party about his age and ability to fire up young voters. Yet despite his flaws as a candidate, a viable Democratic challenger never emerged last year.
The Republican primary in the state is scheduled to be held on February 24. Former President Trump, 77, is the favourite in that race.
“As I said four years ago, this campaign is for everyone who has been knocked down, counted out and left behind. That is still true today. With more than 14 million new jobs and a record 24 straight months — two years — of the unemployment rate under 4%, including a record low unemployment rate for Black Americans, we are leaving no one behind,” Biden said in a statement.
He said he would make Republican rival Trump a “loser” in November’s election.
“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. 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 said.(PTI)
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