Biden faces competition for black vote in his SC ‘firewall’ as primary approaches

5 years ago

FILE - In this Dec. 2, 2019, file photo, Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden arrives at a stop on his bus tour, in Emmetsburg, Iowa. Joe Biden’s presidential bid got a boost Monday from one of the leading Latinos in Congress, with the chairman of the Hispanic Caucus' political arm endorsing the former vice president as Democrats’ best hope to defeat President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP/WBTW) — Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is facing formidable competition in South Carolina.

That’s a state his campaign has long assumed was safely in his column. And it’s a state that he’s repeatedly described as a “firewall.”

Bernie Sanders and Tom Steyer are among those challenging Biden’s standing in the state.

South Carolina’s Feb. 29 primary is the first contest in the South and serves as an important gauge of black support.

Biden probably will need a commanding victory by the time the Democratic contest reaches South Carolina. Any shifts in voter sentiment could narrow a hoped-for win or relegate him to second place, threatening the viability of his campaign.

Count on News13 for up-to-date coverage of the SC primary race.

LATEST HEADLINES: