President Joe Biden has won the New Hampshire Democratic primary, despite not being on the ballot or campaigning in the state. He secured the victory through a write-in effort organized by his supporters, who wanted to show his strength and popularity among the voters.
How Biden won without showing up
The New Hampshire primary was supposed to be the first in the nation, as it has been for decades. However, the Democratic National Committee decided to change the order of the primaries and give South Carolina the lead slot, arguing that it was more representative of the country’s diversity.
New Hampshire refused to comply with the DNC’s decision and kept its primary date, which resulted in the state losing its delegates and being declared “meaningless” by the party. Biden also followed the DNC’s rules and did not register or campaign in New Hampshire, leaving his name off the ballot.
However, some of his loyal supporters in the state decided to launch a write-in campaign to rally behind the president and demonstrate his appeal. They distributed flyers, stickers, and pens to educate voters on how to write in Biden’s name under the 21 official candidates on the ballot.
Their efforts paid off, as Biden won the primary with 63% of the vote, according to the Associated Press. He defeated his closest rivals, Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson, who both decided to run in New Hampshire despite the lack of delegates and recognition.
What this means for Biden and the 2024 race
Biden’s win in New Hampshire is largely symbolic, as it does not affect the delegate count or the nomination process. However, it does send a message of confidence and support to the president, who has faced some challenges and criticisms in his first year in office.
Biden has been dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic recovery, the climate crisis, and the foreign policy issues, among other things. He has also faced some backlash from some progressives in his party, who have been pushing for more ambitious and radical policies on health care, immigration, and social justice.
Biden’s win in New Hampshire shows that he still has a solid base of supporters who trust his leadership and vision for the country. It also shows that he can overcome the potential threat of Phillips, who has been running as a moderate alternative to Biden and has self-funded his campaign with millions of dollars.
Phillips, who won his seat in Congress in 2018, has argued that Biden is a “weak candidate” who could lose to Donald Trump in the general election. He has also criticized Biden’s handling of the pandemic, the economy, and the inflation. He has said that he is running to offer a “fresh perspective” and a “new generation of leadership” to the Democrats.
However, Phillips has failed to gain much traction or attention in the primary race, as most Democrats have rallied behind Biden and dismissed his challenge as irrelevant and divisive. Phillips has only won 15% of the vote in New Hampshire, while Williamson, a self-help guru and spiritual leader, has won 12%.
What’s next for the primary and the election
The New Hampshire primary is not the end of the road for the Democratic candidates, as they still have to compete in other states and territories that have not yet voted. The next primary will be in South Carolina, which is the official first-in-the-nation contest according to the DNC.
South Carolina is expected to be a stronghold for Biden, who has a strong support among the African American voters, who make up a large share of the Democratic electorate in the state. Biden won South Carolina by a landslide in 2020, which helped him secure the nomination and defeat Bernie Sanders.
The South Carolina primary will be followed by the Super Tuesday, which will see 14 states and one territory holding their primaries on the same day. This will be a crucial test for the candidates, as they will have to compete for a large number of delegates and voters across the country.
The primary race will continue until June, when the last state, New York, will vote. The Democratic nominee will then be officially confirmed at the party’s convention in July, where they will accept the nomination and announce their running mate.
The general election will take place on November 5, 2024, when the American people will choose between the Democratic nominee and the Republican nominee, who is likely to be Donald Trump, the former president who was impeached twice and banned from social media platforms.
Trump has already announced his intention to run for a second term, and has been holding rallies and fundraising events across the country. He has also been spreading false claims of election fraud and undermining the legitimacy of Biden’s presidency.
The 2024 election is expected to be a highly polarized and contentious one, as the two parties and their candidates represent very different visions and values for the country. The outcome of the election will have a significant impact on the future of the US and the world.
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