Former Vice President Joe Biden won key Democratic primaries in Minnesota, Massachusetts, and across the South on Tuesday night, taking Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee. On Wednesday, the Associated Press also declared Biden the winner of the Maine Democratic primary. Biden had lagged in the early states, coming in fourth place in the Iowa caucuses and fifth place in the New Hampshire primary, but has picked up momentum, recently securing second place in the Nevada caucuses and taking South Carolina on Saturday. That win in the southeastern state seemed to spur a series of big victories for Biden in the South on Tuesday, particularly in North Carolina—which has 110 pledged delegates—and 99-delegate Virginia. Two other “moderate” contenders previously in the race, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Pete Buttigeig, both dropped out of the race after Biden’s South Carolina win and endorsed him.
