Presidential wannabe Hillary Clinton has moved one step closer to securing the Democratic nomination. She scored a huge victory in the South Carolina primary, defeating rival Bernie Sanders by a margin of some 73% to 26%.
Exit polls showed Clinton garnered support from a wide range of voters, in a telling blow for the Sanders campaign. Those with a college degree, those without, a majority of black voters, women, and people over 25 – all voted in large numbers for the former Secretary of State. The result, say some, presents Clinton as the main choice for a multiracial America.
Senator Sanders of Vermont has vowed to keep on fighting in the run up to Super Tuesday. The date, this year set for March 1, sees almost a dozen states running their primaries. A clear leader for the nomination should become clearer in the wake of the day where 25% of all delegates are decided.
Sanders enjoyed a strong start to the nomination race, running a close second in Iowa and winning clearly in New Hampshire. Since then, Clinton has caught up, taking victories in Nevada and now this significant result in South Carolina. Her victory here gave her 39 delegates of the 53 available.
During her victory speech, Clinton paid special homage to five African American mothers who had been traveling the state on behalf of her campaign. The winning message was an inclusive one. Clinton told a rapturous crowd, that when America stands together, “there is no barrier to break.”
Sanders for his part, says his campaign is “only just beginning.” Speaking in Minnesota in the wake of the loss, he promised his campaign is about “transforming America” and thinking about what sort of country “we want to become.”
It was reported Sanders invested few resources in the South Carolina primary. Super Tuesday may bring more joy. Northeastern states such as Vermont and Massachusetts – those seen as representing his “core” vote – will take to the polls.
