The race for the White House enters a decisive phase with the celebration of ‘Super Tuesday’, the day with the most internal primary elections for the Republican and Democratic parties. On Tuesday, 15 states and one territory will choose their delegates to the conventions that will nominate the official candidates for the presidency of the United States, which will be held on November 5.
One third of the delegates at stake
The results of this Tuesday could be key to defining who will be the rivals who will face each other to occupy the oval office. Among the states voting are two of the most populous and with the most political weight: California and Texas. Democrats distribute 424 delegates to California and 244 to Texas, while Republicans allocate 169 and 161, respectively. In total, more than a third of the delegates needed to secure each party’s nomination are at stake.
Trump and Biden, the favorites
As for the candidates, both former president Donald Trump and the current president Joe Biden start as favorites to win the majority of states and consolidate themselves as leaders of their formations. Trump’s only rival is former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, who surprised with a symbolic victory in Washington DC, a city with a majority Democrat and a more moderate Republican electorate. Biden, on the other hand, has to face two adversaries: Senator Bernie Sanders and former mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg.
Biden’s comeback
Biden won a landslide victory in South Carolina last Saturday, which gave him a confidence boost and positioned him as the main alternative to Sanders, who had won in Nevada, New Hampshire and Iowa. In addition, Biden received the support of two former rivals who withdrew from the race: Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar. Bloomberg, who is running in the primary for the first time, hopes to capture the moderate and urban vote with a multimillion-dollar campaign.
Sanders’ strength
Sanders, who defines himself as a democratic socialist, has the support of the most progressive and young sectors of the party, as well as ethnic minorities. His speech against the elites and in favor of public and universal healthcare and education has earned him great popularity. Sanders hopes to win in California, where polls place him ahead of Biden, and compete in Texas, where the margin is tighter.