Super Tuesday is a key day in American politics during presidential primary elections. It typically occurs in early March of a presidential election year. During Super Tuesday, multiple states hold their primary elections or caucuses on the same day, often including large and diverse states like California, Texas, and Florida. The large number of delegates up for grabs on Super Tuesday makes it a crucial point in the primary process, often shaping the trajectory of the race and influencing which candidates secure their party’s nomination.
This year Super Tuesday Started on March 05. President Biden leads the Democratic nomination race uncontested, while former President Trump is ahead in the Republican race against Nikki Haley. Trump was disqualified from the primary ballot in Colorado and Maine for post-2020 election insurrection but can still receive votes there. He also faces indictments in D.C., Florida, New York, and Georgia. Biden’s age, handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, and voter apathy are concerns on the Democratic side.
Registered voters in several states participated in presidential nominating contests and polled on March 5. Fifteen states are holding GOP contests and eleven of these states allow voters who are not registered Republicans to participate in the GOP primaries. In 2016, Trump won eight of the states holding contests on Super Tuesday 2024. This year, he has won almost all GOP presidential nominating contests, except for the D.C. Republican primary, which he lost to Haley.
The same states, except for Alaska, are also holding Democratic primaries, and American Samoa, a U.S. territory, will hold Democratic caucuses. The Iowa Democratic caucuses were conducted entirely by mail in January to comply with the Democratic National Committee’s primary calendar, and the results will be released on Tuesday
Trump had a big win
The former president maintained his strong position in the Republican nominating contest, winning all but one state, Vermont, which went to Haley. While the 15 states that voted on Tuesday didn’t provide enough delegates for Trump to secure the party nomination for a third consecutive presidential election, he significantly closed the gap and effectively shut the door for Haley.
Haley exit the contest
Meanwhile, Haley announced her exit from the Republican primary on Wednesday morning, making Trump the presumptive GOP nominee. Signs of her departure were evident on Tuesday night, with no briefings from aides, announcements of future ad buys, or campaign events for supporters.
Biden’s Domination
Despite facing challenging headlines and low approval ratings, Biden continues to dominate his few rivals in the primaries, typically winning around 80% of the vote on Super Tuesday. In contrast, Trump has rarely achieved such high numbers. While Haley is a more formidable challenger than some of Biden’s previous rivals, such as Marianne Williamson or Rep. Dean Phillips, Biden remains backed by his party’s rank-and-file, demonstrating strong support within the Democratic Party.
Despite a minor setback for Biden in American Samoa and a loss for Trump in Vermont, it appears that the two frontrunners are on track for a rematch in November’s general election. Both candidates offered a glimpse of their campaign strategies moving forward, with comments released alongside the Super Tuesday results.
