By Camelia Heins
The Democratic presidential primary debate took place on March 15. The two candidates, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and former vice president Joe Biden, faced off head-to-head for the first time in a critical debate amid the coronavirus crisis and ahead of the then-upcoming March 17 primaries.
The debate, which was co-moderated by CNN and Univision, had no live audience and was moved from Phoenix, Arizona to Washington, D.C. due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Topics brought up during the debate included the coronavirus outbreak and its economic effects, women’s rights, immigration (especially concerning mass deportations), climate change and foreign policy.
The debate was especially crucial for senator Sanders as his final push to win over some voters before primaries on March 17. Both candidates had strong performances during the debate.
One major highlight of the debate was Biden’s announcement that he would choose a woman candidate as his vice presidential running mate.
In response, Sanders said, “In all likelihood, I will. For me, it’s not just nominating a woman. It is making sure that we have a progressive woman and there are progressive women out there. So, my very strong tendency is to move in that direction.”
Both candidates also discussed their plan for the coronavirus outbreak. Biden discussed his experience with other outbreaks during his time under the Obama administration and Sanders stressed the idea of universal healthcare.
On March 17, four states held their primaries. Ohio planned to hold a primary but postponed it due to the coronavirus outbreak. Biden won the other three states, Arizona, Illinois and Florida.
On the Republican side, Trump won Illinois and Florida. Arizona did not hold a Republican primary.
For many, Biden’s victory in these primaries and primaries last week show how likely Biden is to become the Democratic nominee. Sanders’ failures in these important primaries have led some to predict him dropping out of the race.
Last week, Biden overwhelmingly won primaries on March 10. The following six states held their primary on March 10: Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Idaho and Washington. Sanders won the state of North Dakota and Biden won the five other states.
On the Republican side, Trump won all six states.
Currently, Biden has 1180 overall delegates while Sanders has 885 overall delegates.
For the Republican side, Trump has 1330 overall delegates and has already reached the amount needed to secure the nomination.
These delegates are given based on a candidate’s placing in each state primary. For the Democratic side, 1991 delegates are needed to secure the nomination. Whoever is nominated at the party’s national convention will go against Trump in November.
Biden’s large delegate lead will make it easier for him to secure the nomination and harder for Sanders to catch up.
Along with Ohio, four other states have postponed their state primaries. These states are Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana and Maryland.
Earlier this month, senator of Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren dropped out of the race. She currently has not endorsed anyone.
Her lack of endorsement has been surprising for many, considering that she shares similar progressive political views with Sanders.
The next primary was for the state of Georgia on March 24 but has been postponed to May 19. Four states will hold primaries on April 4, with the exception of Louisiana which has also postponed its primary to June 20.
