Super Tuesday II

Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang just endorsed Joe Biden live on CNN.

“I believe that Joe Biden will be the Democratic nominee and I’ve always said I’m going to support whoever the nominee is,” he said. “So I hereby am endorsing Joe Biden to be not just the nominee for the Democratic party but the next president of the United States.”

Yang added: “The math says Joe is our prohibitive nominee.”

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It’s only been a week since Super Tuesday, when Michael Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren were still on the ballot. Tonight, their absence in the race is benefiting Joe Biden — particularly in the critical Detroit suburbs.

The Biden campaign is feeling good about Oakland County — one of the those critical suburbs.

We spent time there on Sunday – and one thing was clear: the departure of Bloomberg and Warren from the race was essential to Biden.

Here’s what a top Biden adviser in Michigan said tonight:

Anecdotally, given our time there on Sunday, that sentiment is coming true — as it is in other suburbs across the Detroit metro area.

Joe Biden’s projected Michigan win was carried by voters over the age of 65, moderates, and black voters, according to exit polls.

Around two-thirds or more of Biden’s core voter base, older voters, black voters, and moderates supported him in Michigan, as well as those who oppose a government-funded health program, voters whose top priority is race relations, and voters who prioritize beating President Trump over someone who agrees with them on policy. 

Biden also performed much better than expected among groups Bernie Sanders won in 2016. The former vice president and the Vermont senator are currently neck and neck among men without a college degree, a group that Sanders won by 22 points in Michigan over Hillary Clinton in 2016. 

Sanders also saw a decrease in his lead from 2016 among independent Democratic voters, from winning them by 43 percentage points in 2016 to leading Biden by more than 10 percentage points in 2020.

Joe Biden will win Michigan, CNN projects, marking his third win of the night.

Earlier tonight, CNN projected that Biden will win Mississippi and Missouri.

There are 125 delegates at stake in Michigan tonight.

Who won in 2016: Bernie Sanders won the Democratic primary and Donald Trump won the Republican primary.

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In Mississippi, Joe Biden’s biggest supporters were voters without a college degree, those over the age of 45, and moderates.

Biden carried around 9 in 10 voters in each of these groups — similar to how he performed in Alabama on Super Tuesday.

Democratic primary voters in Mississippi said that uniting the country was the top quality they were looking for in a nominee, according to CNN exit polls. Biden won more than 9 in 10 of those voters, too. He also soundly beat Bernie Sanders among voters who prioritized bringing about needed change and those who said caring about people like them were qualities that mattered most.

Supporters hold up signs before a rally at Kiener Plaza Park in St. Louis, Missouri on Saturday, March 7.

Joe Biden won Missouri — a state Hillary Clinton barely took in 2016 — by carrying Democratic primary voters over 65, black voters, and those without a college degree, according to CNN exit polls.

Almost three quarters of each of those groups went for Biden. 

Missouri exit polls also found a close race between Biden and Bernie Sanders among men without a college degree, a group that Sanders won in 2016 by 60%, topping Clinton by 21 percentage points. Sanders also lost support among independent voters. Slightly over half voted for him in 2020, versus 67% in 2016.

After CNN projected that Joe Biden will win Mississippi and Missouri, here’s where the former vice president and Sen. Bernie Sanders stand in the delegate count.

Biden: 656

Sanders: 563

Remember: A candidate needs 1,991 delegates to win a majority and the nomination. So both Biden and Sanders are a long way from hitting that number.

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Joe Biden is leading in Michigan over Bernie Sanders.

In Michigan, Biden is leading with 52.1% of the vote, followed by Sanders with 43.3%.

Here’s where things stand in Michigan:

Biden speaks during a campaign rally at Kiener Plaza Park in St. Louis on Saturday, March 7.

Joe Biden will win Missouri, CNN projects.

There are 68 delegates at stake tonight in Missouri.

Who won in 2016: Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary and Donald Trump won the Republican primary.

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Tonight marks a turning point in the Democratic primary fight. Yes, this is the first head-to-head matchup between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. But it’s far more than that: It could be a significant pivot point in the campaign.

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, both candidates suddenly have a real-time example to draw a contrast with President Donald Trump and his handling of the crisis. There’s little question that this almost certainly benefits Biden, highlighting his argument that he is ready to govern on Day One.

Not only does he intend to address the coronavirus crisis tonight, he plans to immediately turn “to more of a presidential footing,” in the words of one Biden adviser, and start delivering more speeches “about the gravity of the moment.”

At the same time, the crisis robs Sanders of one of his biggest strengths: His ability to draw massive crowds of supporters – something Biden has always struggled to do. Presidential campaigns often do not end on the same subjects as they begin. The 2008 campaign closed on the economy. It’s still an open question what the 2020 campaign turns on, but tonight is an inflection point – felt different by both campaigns.

All eyes are on Michigan tonight, where results are starting to come in.

But don’t get too excited, results might not be finalized until tomorrow, according to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

Michigan counties will post partial results as they come on their county sites tonight.

Benson warned today that “the results of today’s elections may not be known until well into Wednesday.”

Follow the results here.

Biden speaks at a campaign event at Tougaloo College on Sunday, March 08, in Tougaloo, Mississippi.

Joe Biden will win Mississippi, CNN projects.

There are 36 delegates at stake tonight in Mississippi.

Who won in 2016: Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary and Donald Trump won the Republican primary.

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Polls will close soon is Mississippi, Missouri and North Dakota.

Here’s a breakdown of the delegates at stake in those states:

Joe Biden is set to give remarks at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia tonight, but there is one thing markedly different than past primary and caucus nights — no audience.

A Biden adviser says a handful of members from his staff will attend his statement to the press. The speech is taking place about a mile from his national headquarters in Philadelphia after the campaign canceled its primary night rally in Cleveland “out of an abundance of caution.”

His staff is on site still putting the final touches on the event.

As CNN previously reported, Biden will give remarks on coronavirus in his statement, but it will not make up the entirety of his speech as he is still expected to give typical primary night remarks sharing his overarching vision for the country, an aide said.

Biden plans to address coronavirus more in the coming days, the aide said.

After canceling his primary night event in Cleveland out of an abundance of concerns related to coronavirus, former Vice President Joe Biden will instead deliver remarks tonight in Philadelphia, the campaign said.

Biden will speak at 9:30 p.m. ET.

One thing to note: Bernie Sanders’ campaign also canceled a rally in Cleveland tonight “out of concern for public health and safety,” his Communications Director Mike Casca told CNN.

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As in other states, early exit poll results from Democratic voters in today’s primary states showed majorities were looking for a candidate with a strong chance of beating President Trump over one who shares their views on the issues.

More primary voters in Washington, where around 7 in 10 said they were seeking a candidate who could defeat Trump, felt that way than in any state that’s held a nominating contest so far. In Michigan and in Missouri, just under 6 in 10 said they prioritized picking a candidate with a good chance to win.

The figure in Washington is similar to the share who said the same in Colorado and California. The Michigan and Missouri numbers, however, are slightly below similar states that voted on Super Tuesday, such as Minnesota, where 65% felt that way.

Voters in Mississippi were least likely to say that they were angry about the Trump administration — only about half said they felt that way, similar to the share who felt that way in Alabama, which held its primary last week.

Washington voters also said they were angry about the Trump administration, with more than 8 in 10 saying they felt that way. That’s the highest level recorded in Democratic primary exit polls this cycle.

In Michigan and Missouri, about two-thirds said they were angry — again, slightly lower than in Minnesota.

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With the coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the nation, Democrats announced Tuesday that the CNN-Univision Democratic presidential debate set for this weekend will be held without an audience. 

The Democratic National Committee’s decision to forgo an audience came at the request of the campaigns of Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, as health officials urged people to avoid large gatherings and major events continued to be canceled for the foreseeable future. Both campaigns canceled events in Ohio Tuesday night following Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, urging large gatherings be cancelled and sporting events be held without fans.

“DNC has been in regular communication with local health officials and the Mayor’s office, which advised that we could proceed as planned,” DNC Communications Director Xochitl Hinojosa said in a statement. “Nevertheless, our number one priority has and will continue to be the safety of our staff, campaigns, Arizonans and all those involved in the debate. We will continue to remain in daily contact with all stakeholders through Sunday.”

CNN officials agreed with the decision and noted that there would also be no press filing center or spin room at the debate.

“CNN’s top priority is the safety of our employees and community members,” the network said in a statement. “This extends to guests planning to attend or cover our debate on March 15. At the request of the campaigns and out of an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to eliminate the debate live audience, the press filing center and spin room in Phoenix.”

The debate will air exclusively LIVE on CNN, CNN en Español, CNN International, and Univision at 8pET. The debate will stream live in its entirety, without requiring log–in to a cable provider, on CNN.com’s homepage, across mobile devices via CNN’s apps for iOS and Android, and via CNNgo apps for Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast and Android TV, as well as Univision’s digital properties. The full debate will be available exclusively the day following the airing on demand via cable/satellite systems, on CNNgo (at CNN.com/goon your desktop, smartphone, and tablets, and via CNNgo OTT apps), and CNN mobile apps on iOS and Android.

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Preliminary findings from CNN exit polls conducted in today’s primary states show that Democratic voters trust former Vice President Joe Biden more than Sen. Bernie Sanders to handle a major crisis.

Roughly half of Democratic primary voters in Michigan as well as in Washington state said they trust Biden most among the Democratic candidates to handle a major crisis.

In Michigan, where the exit poll reflects only those who voted on Election Day, about a third say they trust Sanders most to handle a crisis.

In Missouri, preliminary exit poll results show Biden’s edge on this measure is wider: About 6 in 10 say they trust him most to handle a major crisis, while about a quarter named Sanders.

In Washington, where voting is by mail and many ballots were cast before the field of candidates winnowed over the past week, about a quarter chose Sanders and roughly 1 in 5 chose Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who dropped out of the race on Friday.

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Michigan counties will post partial results as they come on their county sites tonight, but Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is still sticking with her warning that “the results of today’s elections may not be known until well into Wednesday.”

Poll workers must match ballot numbers and voter signatures before the ballot can be counted. Most counties use older, slower tabulators, meaning certain employees in some counties could still be there counting until well after midnight. 

In Michigan, some clerks offices began counting once polls opened. Michigan law prevents authorities from even opening envelopes containing mail-in ballots before Election Day. 

A person who begins counting absentee ballots in the morning, must stay until the counting is complete, according to the Secretary of State’s office, meaning they are essentially in counting sequestration until the last absentee ballot is counted. 

More context: The state of Michigan sent out 993,814 absentee by mail ballots. As of this morning, the Secretary of State’s office said 804,216 had been returned. Voters have until 8 p.m. CT to return ballots at the clerk of court.

Former Vice President Joe Biden has canceled his rally tonight in Cleveland, his Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield tweeted today.

Read her tweets:

The Bernie Sanders’ campaign is canceling its rally in Cleveland, Ohio, tonight, Communications Director Mike Casca tells CNN.

Casca continued: “We are heeding the public warnings from Ohio state officials, who have communicated concern about holding large, indoor events during the coronavirus outbreak. Sen. Sanders would like to express his regret to the thousands of Ohioans who had planned to attend the event tonight. All future Bernie 2020 events will be evaluated on a case by case basis.”

More on this: There are at least 849 cases in the US, according to the state and local health agencies, governments and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Former Vice President Joe Biden holds a narrow lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders in the delegate count with 77 more delegates after a surprisingly strong showing in last week’s Super Tuesday contests. California, which which voted last week, has not finished counting their votes, and Sanders is leading in the popular vote there.

There are 365 Democratic delegates up for grabs today:

A candidate needs 1,991 pledged delegates at the Democratic National Convention in July to convey the nomination.

Two key things to remember about winning pledged delegates in Democratic primaries or caucuses:

Learn more about the Democrats’ delegate rules.

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Voters are headed to the polls in six states today. Here’s when those polls close:

CNN’s special coverage will start at 4 p.m. ET and will air on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español.

The coverage will be available on CNN.com’s homepage, across mobile devices via CNN’s apps for iOS and Android, and via CNNgo apps for Amazon Fire, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV and Chromecast.

An audio stream will also be available on SiriusXM Channels 116, 454, 795 and the Westwood One Radio Network. Watch live CNN TV on any device, anywhere.

Follow along in CNN’s Election Center for full coverage.

Washington state is holding its primary election today as it deals with one of the largest outbreaks of reported coronavirus cases in the US.

But the state has one advantage in preventing the spread of the virus on Election Day: All of its voting is done by mail, eliminating the large gatherings that take place in most states at polling locations.

“We’re a completely vote-by-mail state, so there’s no polling places, people can drop their ballots off at a common place or put them in the mailbox for free,” Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan told CNN’s Ana Cabrera on Sunday.

Authorities in Washington state, however, have warned voters to not lick the envelopes for their mail-in ballots, tweeting, “Whether healthy or sick, please don’t lick!”

More on this: Coronavirus can spread through contact with an infected person’s saliva. A cough, sneeze or handshake could enable its spread, as well as touching something an infected person has touched.

Former Vice President Joe Biden has a double-digit lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination, a new CNN poll of Democratic voters nationwide conducted by SSRS shows.

Biden is now the choice of a majority of Democratic voters nationwide, according to the poll, which was taken in the days after the former vice president’s stronger-than-expected showing across Super Tuesday contests and as the field of Democratic contenders with a realistic shot at winning the nomination narrowed to two.

The poll finds 52% of registered voters who are Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents say they want to see Biden win the nomination, while 36% say they’d rather see Sanders win.

Bernie Sanders is again looking to Michigan to save his presidential bid.

Just as suddenly as the Democratic race narrowed to a one-on-one showdown between the Vermont senator and former Vice President Joe Biden, it’s brought a primary that Sanders needs to win — or his path to the Democratic nomination could quickly evaporate.

“Every state is terribly important, and I think coming Tuesday, maybe Michigan is the most important state,” Sanders told reporters Friday in Detroit.

Four years ago, Sanders’ stunning victory in Michigan slowed Hillary Clinton’s march to the party’s nomination and foreshadowed a struggle with working-class voters across the upper Midwest that would ultimately lead to President Trump’s election.

Today’s primary in the state will now test the ability of Sanders and Biden to win in a crucial general election battleground. It comes as the primary calendar turns toward states that appear to be more favorable to Biden. Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio — all large states where Clinton beat Sanders in 2016 — are voting next week, increasing the urgency for Sanders to deliver a trajectory-changing win in Michigan today.

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