Five candidates remain in a field of challengers vying for the Democratic presidential nomination as voters go to the polls in 15 jurisdictions Tuesday in what is known as Super Tuesday.
And while Vermont Senator and democratic socialist Bernie Sanders remains the front-runner, a strong showing from former Vice President Joe Biden who swept to a commanding victory in the South Carolina Primary at the weekend has re-energized his efforts to blunt Sanders’ rising trajectory.
Tuesday’s vote will also be the first time that former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will be on the ballot.
In a likely boost for Biden, three candidates dropped out since South Carolina – billionaire Tom Steyer after a third placed finish, centrist Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg whose historic campaign as a married gay man also came to a close.
In the video below, former US Ambassador to Tanzania Charles Stith, share his thoughts as another US presidential candidate drops out of the race:
“We must recognize that at this point in the race, the best way to keep faith with those goals and ideals is to step aside and help bring our party and our country together. So tonight I am making the difficult decision to suspend my campaign for the presidency. I will no longer seek to be the 2020 Democratic nominee for president, but I will do everything in my power to ensure that we have a new Democratic president come January,” he explains.
But polls suggest that Bernie Sanders still has the advantage and a strong showing Tuesday could further boost his chances of winning the most number of delegates who nominate the eventual Democratic nominee.
“This campaign understands that in order to defeat Donald Trump – and we have to be very clear about it. We can’t mince words about it. In order to defeat Trump, we are going to need the largest voter turnout in the history of this country. And in my view, old-fashioned politics – the same-old, same-old type of politics that doesn’t excite anybody, that doesn’t energize anybody – that is not going to be the campaign that beats Trump,” adds Sanders.
As pressure builds – in light of Sander’s strong showing – for moderate Democratic candidates to coalesce around one person; that now appearing to be former President Barack Obama’s VP Joe Biden.
“So folks, so here’s the deal – let’s get back up. We’re decent, we’re brave, and we’re resilient people. We can believe again. We’re better than this. We’re better than this president. So get up, take back our country. This is the United States of America. There’s nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together,” explains Biden.
Audio | SABC News US Correspondent Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports:
Billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who was a late entry into the nomination process, has spent several hundred million dollars of his personal fortune to stake his campaign on a strong Super Tuesday showing.
While Representative Tulsi Gabbard and Senator Elizabeth Warren are the only two women left in the race.
“My campaign is built for the long haul and we are looking forward to these big contests.”
The democratic campaign to select a nominee to face President Donald Trump has been whittled down from more than 25 to just 5.
The pundits are beginning to talk about a two-way race between Bernie Sanders who represents the progressive wing of the party and Joe Biden who is seen as more moderate and who could, as the argument goes, draw in Independent and moderate Republican voters in a general election against the right-wing Donald Trump.
But this is a numbers game now – money, voters and amassing the required number of delegates to ensure a coronation at the Democratic Convention in Milwaukee this July.
Video | Democratic race hots up in the US:
