Former vice president Joe Biden swept up a string of key Southern primaries on Super Tuesday, as Sen. Bernie Sanders scored the night’s biggest prize with a victory in California — paving the way for the Democratic race to become a two-man standoff. Fresh off his South Carolina victory this past weekend, Biden was crowned the winner of the Texas, Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama, Massachusetts and Minnesota primaries — several of them by double digits. The nine primaries Biden was projected to win hold at least 700 delegates between them, more than one-fourth of the 1,991 delegates needed to officially clinch the nomination to take on President Trump in November. The Texas primary, which was the night’s second largest prize with 228 delegates was called for Biden early Wednesday. While California — with its 415 delegates — was called for Sanders. The Senator also claimed wins in his native Vermont, Utah and Colorado. Maine’s primary was the last one that remained too close to call early Wednesday. Biden held a razor-thin lead over Sanders in the state in early results. The only other viable challengers, Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bloomberg, didn’t score any victories in Tuesday’s 14 primaries, putting pressure on both to drop out.
