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| Joe Biden Wins Florida and Illinois Primaries, and Polls Remain Open in Arizona: Live Updates | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The Democratic primary race moved to Arizona, Florida and Illinois on Tuesday, with 441 delegates at stake for the party’s presidential nomination. | The Democratic primary race moved to Arizona, Florida and Illinois on Tuesday, with 441 delegates at stake for the party’s presidential nomination. |
| Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was declared the winner of the Florida primary the instant polls closed at 8 p.m. Eastern, and also won the Illinois primary. Polls will close in Arizona at 10 p.m. Eastern. We’re tracking the results here. | |
| Mr. Biden, who was ahead of Senator Bernie Sanders in polling in all three states, could build an all but insurmountable lead in delegates Tuesday night. He currently has 894 delegates to Mr. Sanders’s 743. Mr. Sanders lost all three states voting on Tuesday to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race. | |
| These are the first primaries to be held amid the heightened fear and restrictions triggered by the coronavirus. The Trump administration has recommended avoiding groups of more than 10 people, and turnout was down in both Illinois and Florida on Tuesday. But many voters had already cast ballots early or by mail, including many older voters who are at higher risk of getting sick. | These are the first primaries to be held amid the heightened fear and restrictions triggered by the coronavirus. The Trump administration has recommended avoiding groups of more than 10 people, and turnout was down in both Illinois and Florida on Tuesday. But many voters had already cast ballots early or by mail, including many older voters who are at higher risk of getting sick. |
| Mr. Biden won the primary in Illinois, the second-largest delegate prize among Tuesday’s contests. With the victory, he continued to pad his sizable delegate lead over Mr. Sanders. | |
| Mr. Sanders narrowly lost the state in 2016 to Mrs. Clinton, but he appeared to be at a significant disadvantage heading into this year’s contest. | |
| As in Florida, black voters make up a significant portion of the Democratic primary electorate in Illinois. Strong support from black voters in South Carolina and a number of other Southern states was crucial to Mr. Biden’s resurgence in the primary. Mr. Biden has also performed well among white voters in recent contests. | |
| Mr. Biden had widespread support among Democratic elected officials in the state. His backers included Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who endorsed him on Monday; Senators Richard J. Durbin and Tammy Duckworth; and Mayor Lori Lightfoot of Chicago. | |
| Mr. Biden had planned to hold a campaign event in Chicago last week, but it was called off because of the coronavirus. Instead, Mr. Biden held a “virtual town hall” for Illinois voters, but his first attempt at virtual campaigning was marred by technical problems. | |
| Mr. Biden easily won the Florida primary, racking up an early — and expected — victory in the Sunshine State. | Mr. Biden easily won the Florida primary, racking up an early — and expected — victory in the Sunshine State. |
| In 2016, Mr. Sanders captured just nine counties in the state, largely the kind of rural white areas he’s been struggling to hold against Mr. Biden this campaign. He has failed to win large numbers of black voters, who made up more than a quarter of the Democratic primary electorate four years ago. | In 2016, Mr. Sanders captured just nine counties in the state, largely the kind of rural white areas he’s been struggling to hold against Mr. Biden this campaign. He has failed to win large numbers of black voters, who made up more than a quarter of the Democratic primary electorate four years ago. |
| In Florida, Mr. Sanders’s refusal to retract his praise of Fidel Castro and aspects of the Communist Cuban revolution drew ire not just from Cubans but also from a far more diverse group of Latinos, including Colombians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans. And though Mr. Sanders would be the first Jewish president, his comments about Israel turned off many Jewish voters, according to polling. | In Florida, Mr. Sanders’s refusal to retract his praise of Fidel Castro and aspects of the Communist Cuban revolution drew ire not just from Cubans but also from a far more diverse group of Latinos, including Colombians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans. And though Mr. Sanders would be the first Jewish president, his comments about Israel turned off many Jewish voters, according to polling. |
| Florida was always going to be a good state for Mr. Biden. A.P. VoteCast, a voter survey conducted in the days leading up to the primary by The Associated Press, found that 25 percent of Florida’s Democratic electorate is African-American and 70 percent is 45 or older, two demographics that have voted overwhelmingly for Mr. Biden. | |
| Much of Mr. Biden’s win likely stems from the perception among Democratic voters in Florida that he was the stronger candidate to beat Mr. Trump and would fare the best in a national emergency, like the coronavirus. More than seven in 10 voters surveyed by A.P. VoteCast said they saw Mr. Biden as the most electable and that they trusted him the most to handle a major crisis. | |
| While Mr. Biden was always expected to win Florida, the margins of his victory will matter. The state awards 219 delegates, and if Mr. Biden wins an overwhelming share of them it could help block Mr. Sanders’s path to the nomination. | While Mr. Biden was always expected to win Florida, the margins of his victory will matter. The state awards 219 delegates, and if Mr. Biden wins an overwhelming share of them it could help block Mr. Sanders’s path to the nomination. |
| Neither candidate campaigned in the state: Rallies for Mr. Biden in Tampa and Miami were canceled because of fears about the spread of the coronavirus. Most of the candidates’ political activity was left to television ads, volunteers and campaign surrogates. | Neither candidate campaigned in the state: Rallies for Mr. Biden in Tampa and Miami were canceled because of fears about the spread of the coronavirus. Most of the candidates’ political activity was left to television ads, volunteers and campaign surrogates. |
| Supporters of the candidate who spent the most time in the state — former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York City — most likely went to Mr. Biden. | Supporters of the candidate who spent the most time in the state — former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York City — most likely went to Mr. Biden. |
| Mr. Sanders addressed the escalating coronavirus crisis on Tuesday night, calling it an “unprecedented moment” and laying out an extensive list of policy proposals to deal with the emergency that he said he would work with Democratic leadership to carry out. He estimated that combating the crisis would require at least $2 trillion in funding. | |
| Among the plans he put forth were activating the armed forces to build mobile hospitals and testing facilities, as well as having the government provide a “direct emergency $2,000 cash payment to every household in America.” He also proposed a moratorium on evictions and utility shut-offs, and providing emergency unemployment assistance to anyone who loses their job. | |
| And he again used this moment to call for his signature policy proposal, “Medicare for all.” In the meantime, he called for Medicare to cover all medical bills during the coronavirus crisis. | |
| “What I believe we must do is empower Medicare to cover all medical bills during this emergency,” he said. But he also stressed that “this is not Medicare for all. We can’t pass that right now.” | |
| Mr. Sanders has publicly addressed the coronavirus several times in the last week, and his remarks on Tuesday largely reflected his previous comments. | |
| During his speech, which he delivered before many polls closed, he did not address the election. Neither CNN nor MSNBC showed his remarks live. | |
| Three primary elections were held on Tuesday — and yet there will be no rallies for the winner or winners. | |
| Presidential politics in the coronavirus era has left Mr. Biden and Mr. Sanders in a new reality. They’re running for president, but without the running. | Presidential politics in the coronavirus era has left Mr. Biden and Mr. Sanders in a new reality. They’re running for president, but without the running. |
| There are no get-out-the-vote efforts, no rallies, no commercials, no fund-raising events and, for the foreseeable future, nowhere for them to go. | There are no get-out-the-vote efforts, no rallies, no commercials, no fund-raising events and, for the foreseeable future, nowhere for them to go. |
| Ohio was supposed to have a primary today, but the governor ordered precincts closed. Louisiana, Kentucky and Maryland have moved primaries planned for the coming weeks back to June in hopes the pandemic subsides by then. Democratic National Committee officials insist the party’s convention will take place as planned in Milwaukee in July, but the truth is nobody really knows what the world will look like in four days, let alone in four months. | Ohio was supposed to have a primary today, but the governor ordered precincts closed. Louisiana, Kentucky and Maryland have moved primaries planned for the coming weeks back to June in hopes the pandemic subsides by then. Democratic National Committee officials insist the party’s convention will take place as planned in Milwaukee in July, but the truth is nobody really knows what the world will look like in four days, let alone in four months. |
| Usually we’d know after a primary what comes next. If Tuesday night’s contests were unfolding under normal circumstances, the campaigns and the political press would be decamping for Georgia, which was supposed to be the only state with a primary next week. | |
| But Georgia officials on Saturday moved their state’s primary to May 19. There will be no campaigning in the Atlanta suburbs, no tracking TV spending by the campaigns. No more counting the delegates Mr. Biden and Mr. Sanders need to accumulate to clinch the presidential nomination. | But Georgia officials on Saturday moved their state’s primary to May 19. There will be no campaigning in the Atlanta suburbs, no tracking TV spending by the campaigns. No more counting the delegates Mr. Biden and Mr. Sanders need to accumulate to clinch the presidential nomination. |
| Instead, we’re all left waiting and wondering the same thing: What comes next? | Instead, we’re all left waiting and wondering the same thing: What comes next? |
| Tuesday is shaping up to be the weirdest Primary Day in memory. | Tuesday is shaping up to be the weirdest Primary Day in memory. |
| With fears over the coronavirus pandemic freezing people in their homes, overall primary turnout was way down in Illinois, down a little bit in Florida and up in Arizona — thanks in large part to Arizonans relying far more on early voting and mailed-in ballots. In-person turnout in all three states was far lower than normal. | With fears over the coronavirus pandemic freezing people in their homes, overall primary turnout was way down in Illinois, down a little bit in Florida and up in Arizona — thanks in large part to Arizonans relying far more on early voting and mailed-in ballots. In-person turnout in all three states was far lower than normal. |
| In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine postponed Tuesday’s primary just before midnight on Monday — defying a court order and shuttering polling places. | |
| For a week, there hasn’t been any campaigning in the traditional sense. Mr. Sanders hosted a “virtual rally” Monday night with an online concert from the rocker Neil Young. On Tuesday morning, his campaign announced it was not doing traditional get-out-the-vote outreach in states holding primary contests that day. | For a week, there hasn’t been any campaigning in the traditional sense. Mr. Sanders hosted a “virtual rally” Monday night with an online concert from the rocker Neil Young. On Tuesday morning, his campaign announced it was not doing traditional get-out-the-vote outreach in states holding primary contests that day. |
| In Illinois, turnout was less than half of what it was for the 2016 primary and figured to be below even the 2012 numbers, when only a Republican primary was on the ballot in a heavily Democratic state. About 200 Chicago precincts had to be moved in recent days, and some of the replacement locations did not open on time Tuesday. | In Illinois, turnout was less than half of what it was for the 2016 primary and figured to be below even the 2012 numbers, when only a Republican primary was on the ballot in a heavily Democratic state. About 200 Chicago precincts had to be moved in recent days, and some of the replacement locations did not open on time Tuesday. |
| “We certainly weren’t anticipating this crisis,” said Jim Allen, a spokesman for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. “This has been a very challenging time.” | “We certainly weren’t anticipating this crisis,” said Jim Allen, a spokesman for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. “This has been a very challenging time.” |
| Only Arizona, where the vast majority of voters cast their ballots before Tuesday, figured to have normal or slightly increased turnout. | Only Arizona, where the vast majority of voters cast their ballots before Tuesday, figured to have normal or slightly increased turnout. |
| Adrian Fontes, the Maricopa County recorder, who oversees elections for about 60 percent of the state’s voters and a larger share of its Democrats, said the number of early ballots received in his county was larger than that total number of votes in the 2016 Democratic primary. Any votes cast or counted Tuesday would push the number even higher. | Adrian Fontes, the Maricopa County recorder, who oversees elections for about 60 percent of the state’s voters and a larger share of its Democrats, said the number of early ballots received in his county was larger than that total number of votes in the 2016 Democratic primary. Any votes cast or counted Tuesday would push the number even higher. |
| Still, Mr. Fontes characterized Primary Day traffic at polling places as “slow.” All polling places in the county, which has nearly four million residents, were operating Tuesday morning, but the pace of voting was about 3,500 people per hour — far below normal. | Still, Mr. Fontes characterized Primary Day traffic at polling places as “slow.” All polling places in the county, which has nearly four million residents, were operating Tuesday morning, but the pace of voting was about 3,500 people per hour — far below normal. |
| Mr. Biden now has Secret Service protection, the organization said on Tuesday, a development that comes as he has achieved front-runner status in the Democratic primary, and after several security incidents occurred at campaign events. | Mr. Biden now has Secret Service protection, the organization said on Tuesday, a development that comes as he has achieved front-runner status in the Democratic primary, and after several security incidents occurred at campaign events. |
| “The U.S. Secret Service can confirm that we have initiated full protective coverage for Democratic Presidential Candidate and former Vice President Joseph Biden,” a representative for the Secret Service said. | “The U.S. Secret Service can confirm that we have initiated full protective coverage for Democratic Presidential Candidate and former Vice President Joseph Biden,” a representative for the Secret Service said. |
| On a number of occasions, voters or activists have come physically close to Mr. Biden or his family, including on Super Tuesday, when animal rights activists moved toward him and his wife as he spoke, and several young campaign staff members physically interceded. | On a number of occasions, voters or activists have come physically close to Mr. Biden or his family, including on Super Tuesday, when animal rights activists moved toward him and his wife as he spoke, and several young campaign staff members physically interceded. |
| All eyes are on the presidential primary, of course, but there are also several important down-ballot races happening in Illinois on Tuesday. | All eyes are on the presidential primary, of course, but there are also several important down-ballot races happening in Illinois on Tuesday. |
| The most closely watched is the primary in the Third Congressional District between Representative Daniel Lipinski, a conservative Democrat, and Marie Newman, a progressive challenger. It is a second try for Ms. Newman, who is backed by the Justice Democrats and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York: She lost to Mr. Lipinski by just 2,000 votes in 2018. | The most closely watched is the primary in the Third Congressional District between Representative Daniel Lipinski, a conservative Democrat, and Marie Newman, a progressive challenger. It is a second try for Ms. Newman, who is backed by the Justice Democrats and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York: She lost to Mr. Lipinski by just 2,000 votes in 2018. |
| The primary will be an important test of whether someone like Mr. Lipinski, who opposes abortion and voted against the Affordable Care Act, is still welcome in the Democratic Party — and conversely, whether a candidate from the party’s progressive wing can win in a district that, while solidly Democratic, leans more conservative on social issues. | The primary will be an important test of whether someone like Mr. Lipinski, who opposes abortion and voted against the Affordable Care Act, is still welcome in the Democratic Party — and conversely, whether a candidate from the party’s progressive wing can win in a district that, while solidly Democratic, leans more conservative on social issues. |
| Across the aisle, Republicans will be choosing their challengers against two first-term Democrats who flipped seats in 2018: Sean Casten in the Sixth District and Lauren Underwood in the 14th. And both parties are holding primary elections for an open seat in the 15th District, where Representative John Shimkus, a Republican, is retiring. | Across the aisle, Republicans will be choosing their challengers against two first-term Democrats who flipped seats in 2018: Sean Casten in the Sixth District and Lauren Underwood in the 14th. And both parties are holding primary elections for an open seat in the 15th District, where Representative John Shimkus, a Republican, is retiring. |
| We’ll also be keeping an eye on the state attorney’s race in Cook County, home to Chicago. It has been the most expensive such race in county history and pits the incumbent, Kim Foxx, against three challengers. The best-funded of the three is Bill Conway, a former prosecutor. | We’ll also be keeping an eye on the state attorney’s race in Cook County, home to Chicago. It has been the most expensive such race in county history and pits the incumbent, Kim Foxx, against three challengers. The best-funded of the three is Bill Conway, a former prosecutor. |
| With states postponing upcoming primaries to avoid congregating during the coronavirus pandemic, the Democratic National Committee’s chairman, Tom Perez, on Tuesday urged the states remaining on the election calendar to conduct only vote-by-mail contests. | With states postponing upcoming primaries to avoid congregating during the coronavirus pandemic, the Democratic National Committee’s chairman, Tom Perez, on Tuesday urged the states remaining on the election calendar to conduct only vote-by-mail contests. |
| “In order to ensure the voices of voters are heard, the D.N.C. is urging the remaining primary states to use a variety of other critical mechanisms that will make voting easier and safer for voters and election officials alike,” Mr. Perez said. “The simplest tool is vote by mail, which is already in use in a number of states and should be made available to all registered voters.” | “In order to ensure the voices of voters are heard, the D.N.C. is urging the remaining primary states to use a variety of other critical mechanisms that will make voting easier and safer for voters and election officials alike,” Mr. Perez said. “The simplest tool is vote by mail, which is already in use in a number of states and should be made available to all registered voters.” |
| Mr. Perez condemned Ohio’s eleventh-hour decision to postpone its primary. Doing so would not be necessary, he said, if voters could cast ballots by mail. | Mr. Perez condemned Ohio’s eleventh-hour decision to postpone its primary. Doing so would not be necessary, he said, if voters could cast ballots by mail. |
| “What happened in Ohio last night has only bred more chaos and confusion, and the Democratic Party leadership in Ohio is working tirelessly to protect the right to vote,” he said. “Eligible voters deserve certainty, safety and accessibility. That’s why states that have not yet held primary elections should focus on implementing the aforementioned measures to make it easier and safer for voters to exercise their constitutional right to vote, instead of moving primaries to later in the cycle when timing around the virus remains unpredictable.” | “What happened in Ohio last night has only bred more chaos and confusion, and the Democratic Party leadership in Ohio is working tirelessly to protect the right to vote,” he said. “Eligible voters deserve certainty, safety and accessibility. That’s why states that have not yet held primary elections should focus on implementing the aforementioned measures to make it easier and safer for voters to exercise their constitutional right to vote, instead of moving primaries to later in the cycle when timing around the virus remains unpredictable.” |
| Reporting was contributed by Maggie Astor, Nick Corasaniti, Sydney Ember, Katie Glueck, Shane Goldmacher and Matt Stevens. |