Biden Confirmed as Democratic Presidential Candidate... Trump Also Nears 'Magic Number'

On the 12th (local time), U.S. President Joe Biden secured a majority of delegates needed to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination. On the same day, former President Donald Trump is also likely to surpass the 'magic number' required for the Republican nomination. With both the current and former presidents confirmed as their parties' candidates, it is expected that the long-awaited rematch in November will intensify significantly.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

According to tallies by The New York Times (NYT) and others, President Biden won the Democratic primary in Georgia on the day, securing 1,972 delegates, which is more than half of the total 3,932 delegates (1,966 needed). This means that regardless of subsequent primary results, Biden will be officially nominated as the Democratic presidential candidate at the party convention in August.

In a statement immediately after, President Biden said, "At a time when Trump's threat has grown greater than ever, Democratic voters have placed their trust in me once again. Now, voters must choose the future of this country," adding, "Will we stand up to defend democracy, or will we let others tear it down? I believe the American people will choose to move forward toward the future." On the same day, the Democratic Party held primaries in Georgia, Mississippi, Hawaii, Washington state, the Northern Mariana Islands territory, and for overseas voters, with voting still ongoing in some areas.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the Republican side, former President Trump is also expected to secure the nomination on the same day. The Republican Party held primaries in Georgia, Mississippi, Hawaii, and Washington state as well.

Trump is predicted to have won decisively in the Republican primaries in Georgia and Mississippi, which closed at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern Time respectively and are currently being counted. According to NYT's tally, Trump has secured 1,178 delegates so far, just shy of the magic number of 1,215. NYT reported, "Following Biden's confirmation as the Democratic nominee, former President Trump has taken a step closer as well," reflecting the vote count atmosphere.

If both the current and former presidents confirm their primary victories on the day, the general election campaign spanning eight months until the November vote is expected to become even more intense. Ahead of the primaries, the two visited the swing state of Georgia simultaneously on the 9th, engaging in sharp exchanges against each other. President Biden criticized, "Trump is a threat to democracy and wants to be a dictator," while former President Trump retorted, "Putin (Russian President Vladimir Putin) threatens us daily with nuclear weapons because he knows the president (Biden) is incompetent and a fool."

A presidential rematch in the U.S. is happening for the first time since the 1956 contest between Republican Dwight Eisenhower and Democrat Adlai Stevenson. It is also the first time in 112 years that a former president has challenged a sitting president's re-election bid, the last being in 1912.

Local media are paying particular attention to the situation in Georgia, a battleground state dubbed the 'mini Super Tuesday,' ahead of the rematch. In the 2020 election, Biden defeated Trump there by fewer than 12,000 votes, and due to the demographic characteristics of suburbs, Black, and Hispanic populations, the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate are clearly reflected.

CNN described it as "a suitable starting point for the eight-month competition leading up to the presidential election." The network also noted that despite Trump's expected landslide victory in the Georgia Republican primary, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who recently resigned, is still garnering a significant number of votes. Trump is facing a criminal trial in Georgia on charges related to election interference.

Additionally, The New York Times pointed out that in Washington state, the key issue in the Democratic primary is how many 'uncommitted' votes will be cast. Recently, in states like Michigan and Minnesota, 'uncommitted' votes reached double digits, mainly from Arab American voters protesting the Biden administration's support for Israel.