'Mini Tuesday' on Warren... What is the fate of Sanders vs. Biden?

Buttigieg, Bloomberg, and Klobuchar Declare Support for Biden

Two Candidates Court Senator Warren's Support

Upcoming 'Mini-Tuesday' on the 10th Also Crucial

▲Senator Bernie Sanders (left) and former Vice President Joe Biden (right) [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] With the successive withdrawals of leading Democratic presidential candidates, the Democratic primary has been narrowed down to a two-person race between former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders. While all the candidates who previously withdrew have declared their support for Biden, Senator Elizabeth Warren has withheld her endorsement, making the question of who will gain Warren's support a key point of interest. Additionally, the upcoming 'Mini-Tuesday' on the 10th (local time) will be the first primary held after the race has been narrowed to 'Biden vs. Sanders,' making it a critical battleground for the future trajectory of the two candidates.

Earlier, moderate-leaning Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Senator Amy Klobuchar announced their withdrawal after the South Carolina primary, citing limitations in expanding their vote base, and declared their support for Biden.

Following that, on Super Tuesday, March 3rd (local time), after former Vice President Biden won 10 out of 14 states, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who shares a moderate support base, also declared his support for Biden and announced his withdrawal from the race.

After Bloomberg, Senator Elizabeth Warren also announced on March 5th that she would drop out of the Democratic primary. Her third-place finish behind Biden even in her home state of Massachusetts during Super Tuesday was a decisive factor. However, Warren did not disclose which candidate she would support upon her withdrawal.

Thus, the race has been narrowed down to a two-person contest between moderate Biden and progressive Sanders, drawing attention to future prospects.

The key question is whom Senator Warren will support. Both candidates have competed to win her endorsement after she withheld her support. Former Vice President Biden tweeted, "Senator Warren is a fierce fighter for middle-class families. What she has done in Washington, Massachusetts, and on the campaign trail has brought real change to people's lives."

Senator Sanders also praised her, saying, "Senator Warren ran a campaign with unprecedented ideas to ensure the wealthy pay their fair share, end corruption in Washington, guarantee healthcare for all, solve the student debt crisis, and protect women's rights."

Although Warren's political stance and ideology are closer to Sanders, it is still uncertain whether she will endorse him. Politico analyzed, "Senators Warren and Sanders have been friends and ideological allies long before becoming politicians, but their relationship became strained during the campaign." Politico pointed out that their relationship deteriorated significantly after Warren claimed in a January TV debate that Sanders had once said 'a woman could not become president.' Additionally, Warren's support for Hillary Clinton rather than Sanders during the 2016 presidential primary has resurfaced as a point of contention.

The upcoming 'Mini-Tuesday' on the 10th is also crucial. As the first primary held after the race has been narrowed to two candidates, it is expected to be an important battleground for their future paths. On Mini-Tuesday, primaries will be held in six states: Idaho, Missouri, Michigan, North Dakota, Mississippi, and Washington.

Among these, Michigan, part of the Rust Belt (a declining manufacturing region), is considered a swing state that will decide the outcome of the November presidential election, making it the biggest battleground of Mini-Tuesday with 125 delegates at stake.

The New York Times (NYT) said, "Michigan will be a stage to test the appeal of the two candidates among suburban residents, Black voters, and white working-class voters."

Michigan's population is composed of 74% white, 14% Black, and 5% Hispanic/Latino. Biden is supported by white middle-class and Black voters, while Sanders is favored by workers and Latinos.

Fox News evaluated, "Michigan will be a make-or-break battleground for Biden and Sanders. Especially for Sanders, who lost on Super Tuesday, conceding Michigan to Biden would be a fatal blow."