Super Tuesday is one of the most important days in the Democratic primary election.
According to ballotpedia.com, “Super Tuesday refers to the Tuesday in a presidential election year when the largest number of states and territories hold a presidential preference primary or caucus.”
On March 3rd, 14 states voted in their primary elections.
States that voted included Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and a United States territory, American Samoa.
Candidates are fighting to receive delegates, which determines the amount of support.
Up for votes on Super Tuesday include former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Hawaiian representative Tulsi Gabbard, and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. They all hoped to win pledged delegates.
“A pledged delegate is a person selected to represent the interests of that state’s voters at the Democratic National Convention in July,” reported USAtoday.com.
Delegates are given to states based on population size, so a state like California will have more delegates than a smaller state like Arkansas.
There are 3,979 delegates from all states and territories combined. A candidate needs 1,991 to win the first vote at the Democratic National Convention, which takes place in July and is when the Democratic nominee will be chosen.
Although more delegates will be awarded at later dates, historically candidates who do well on Super Tuesday have a likely chance of winning the Democratic nomination.
In total, Joe Biden won 10 states, while Bernie Sanders won four.
Biden received 566 delegates, Sanders with 501, Warren received 61, and Gabbard earned 2.
Three candidates have dropped out of the race, but also won delegates to the Democratic National Convention. These include former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg (53 delegates, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg (26 delegates), and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar (7 delegates).
As of March 5th, senator Elizabeth Warren dropped out of the race.
Some students at New Prairie are able to vote.
Senior Joel Kelley says he would vote for Elizabeth Warren.
“While I don’t feel she is the most electable, she is a former school teacher! Besides this, she has good ideas that differ from Bernie Sanders in the details,” Kelley said.
“Secondly, we know that if we run Bernie Sanders then the Republican Party will win the next election. Joe Biden is past his time. The last thing we need is more old rich men in the government. It’s time for something completely opposite from this past presidency. That’s why personally I would have voted for Pete. However, now, either Warren or Klobuchar seem best, though not most likely to win,” shared Kelley.
Freshman Spencer Phillips had a different opinion.
“Warren has proven multiple times to not cite facts, blatantly lie, and be flat out wrong on many things. She is an untrustworthy stateswoman and should not take office,” said Phillips.
“Biden is an emotionally charged egotist who wants to implement frankly stupid or authoritarian programs such as a $15 minimum wage, national database on firearms owners so the government can know who possesses weapons and who doesn’t, or boosting the already colossal defense budget and further enabling the Military-Industrial Complex like his friend Obama,” he explained.
“Sanders, though I don’t particularly like him, is far more collected and has a legitimate platform, although I may not agree with it on fundamental differences in thinking and economic reasons.”