Joe Biden wins Florida primary, NBC News projects, as he pushes to seal the Democratic nomination

Joe Biden will win Florida’s Democratic primary, NBC News projected Tuesday, taking another huge step toward the 2020 Democratic nomination in the shadow of the coronavirus.

The former vice president looked headed for a blowout, setting him up for a trove of delegates as he pushes to take on President Donald Trump in November. With more than 90% of results in Tuesday, he had about 62% of the vote, compared to about 23% for Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Florida’s primary allocates 219 pledged delegates, making it one of the biggest prizes on the calendar. Biden will win at least 133 delegates, while Sanders will come away with at least 23. 

Speaking from his home in Wilmington, Delaware on Tuesday night, Biden said “tackling this pandemic is a national emergency akin to fighting a war.” He seemed to endorse the states moving ahead with their elections with precautions, saying “it’s important for us to get through this crisis protecting both the public health and our democracy.”

“Our campaign has had a very good night. We moved closer to securing the Democratic Party’s nomination for president,” he said after projected wins in both Florida and Illinois. He spoke directly to Sanders’ supporters, saying he and his opponent “may disagree on tactics, but we share a common vision” on the need to make health care more affordable, reduce income inequality and curb climate change. 

Florida forged ahead with its primary despite fears about the outbreak that forced Ohio, another state set to vote Tuesday, to stop in-person voting. The state said it took steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease while voters cast ballots, including by giving poll workers disinfecting materials and moving polling sites away from high-risk places such as hospitals and nursing homes.

Even so, some local elections officials reported having to find replacements for poll workers. Nearly 2 million people had voted early or by mail by Tuesday morning, according to state data.

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/17/florida-democratic-primary-election-results.html