Trump and Biden Sweep Super Tuesday

On the Republican side, more than a third of all delegates were up for grabs across 15 states and one territory. Donald Trump won commanding victories in delegate-rich states like California and Texas, accumulating over 1,050 total delegates by the end of the night and putting him on track to clinch the nomination the following week. Nikki Haley averted a complete sweep by winning the GOP primary in Vermont, becoming the first Republican woman to win two presidential primary contests. Despite this victory, she suspended her campaign the following day, on March 6, 2024, effectively ending the Republican primary contest. President Biden won all 15 state primaries for the Democrats, including the mail-in contest for Iowa. His only loss of the night came in the caucus for the territory of American Samoa, where he was defeated by little-known entrepreneur Jason Palmer, who won 51 votes to Biden's 40. A notable protest vote occurred in Minnesota, where nearly 19% of Democratic voters, over 45,000 people, selected the "uncommitted" option. This was part of a movement to pressure President Biden over his administration's policy regarding the war in Gaza. Democratic challenger Dean Phillips, a congressman from Minnesota, ended his long-shot campaign on March 6 after failing to gain traction. He received just under 8% of the vote in his home state, finishing third behind Biden and the "uncommitted" vote. Voter turnout was relatively low in several key states. In Virginia and California, an estimated 3% of eligible voters aged 17-29 cast a ballot, while North Carolina saw a 5% youth turnout. In Minnesota, overall turnout was just 17% of registered voters, compared to 39% in Colorado, another Super Tuesday state.