One week after his dominant Super Tuesday performance, former Vice President Joe Biden built on his existing momentum by besting Senator Bernie Sanders in the Michigan Democratic primary.
Biden led Sanders by over ten points and over 100,000 votes with over 50 percent of the total vote in, and multiple networks called the contest for Biden shortly after 9p.m.
Michigan’s 152 delegates are the largest single haul for “Mini Tuesday,” and Biden’s win in the state all but guarantees his path to be the Democratic nominee. The former vice president already secured victories in Mississippi and Missouri on Tuesday night.
Exit polls in Michigan showed a sharp age divide between the two candidates. Biden continued his recent trajectory, winning the vast majority of older and black voters.
Michigan exit polls:
Biden – 73% voters 65 and over
Sanders – 82% voters under 30voters 65 and over were 23% of those voting;
voters under 30 were 15% of those voting— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 11, 2020
Polling ahead of the vote showed Sanders down by over 20 points. Although the Vermont Senator found himself in a similar hole in 2016 before pulling off a surprise win in Michigan — besting Hillary Clinton by just over 18,000 votes — he lagged behind with suburban and rural voters against Biden, with urban precincts yet to report.
Biden is leading MI by 10% BEFORE any significant votes are reported from Detroit or Flint. His lead will definitely get to over 15% and probably closer 20% by night's end.
— Henry Olsen (@henryolsenEPPC) March 11, 2020
Livingston Co., MI (conservative outer Detroit suburbs) is 100% in. In 2016, Sanders won it by 21.3%. In 2020, turnout went up 45% and Biden won it by 17.0%.
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) March 11, 2020