How Biden Secured Enough Delegates to Be the Presumed Democratic Nominee
TL/DR –
President Joe Biden has unofficially secured the Democratic nomination for the 2024 presidential election, surpassing the required 1,968 delegates after winning the Georgia primary. Biden won 19 of the 20 contests where he appeared on the ballot and 99% of the delegates at stake. His main challengers were U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota and self-help author Marianne Williamson, but neither candidate could amass enough delegates to challenge Biden’s nomination.
President Biden Clinches Democratic Nomination: AP Analysis
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has secured the Democratic nomination for 2024, a journey much less suspenseful than 2020, given the continued favor he enjoys amongst Democratic voters, despite concerns regarding his age. His incumbency also contributed to his candidacy’s success.
AP declared Biden the presumptive nominee after his victory in the Georgia primary, claiming at least 100 of its 108 delegates, pushing him past the required 1,968 delegates for the nomination. Additional delegates will follow, being the sole candidate on the Mississippi ballot after polls close, plus six secured from the Northern Mariana Islands.
Analysis shows that neither U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota nor self-help author Marianne Williamson could garner enough delegates to obstruct Biden’s nomination.
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Delegates are won in Georgia through a combination of statewide votes and a minimum of 15% district vote. AP’s assessment shows that neither Phillips nor Williamson would meet the required threshold statewide or in most of Georgia’s 14 congressional districts.
AP’s analysis, which incorporates historical voting data and demographic information, further reveals that throughout 2024, neither Phillips nor Williamson has secured any delegates from the Georgia Democratic ballot, lagging considerably behind Biden.
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Biden clinched the nomination 38 days post the first delegate award, faster than Donald Trump in 2020, and significantly quicker than Barack Obama during his 2012 reelection campaign.
Despite a robust challenge from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in the 2016 and 2020 Democratic primaries, Biden faced no such competition in 2024. His main challengers were Phillips and Williamson, with a brief challenge from Robert Kennedy Jr. who later opted for an independent bid.
In the leadup to Tuesday’s primary, Biden won 19 of 20 contests, claiming 99 percent of available delegates. His only defeat came at American Samoa where he split the six delegates with candidate Jason Palmer.
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Biden’s incumbency provided several advantages, including support from state party organizations. This ensured a smoother nomination, though it was not guaranteed at the outset.
Biden lobbied the Democratic National Committee to revise its primary calendar to amplify voters of color’s influence. As a result, South Carolina, the state that revived Biden’s 2020 campaign, was prioritized over Iowa and New Hampshire.
New Hampshire defied the new calendar and scheduled its primary earlier. However, Biden emerged victorious here, claiming approximately 64 percent of the vote.
Associated Press reporter Leah Askarinam and AP Data Scientist Serena Hawkins contributed to this report.
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