WASHINGTON: Joe Biden easily won the Florida primary on Tuesday, building on a remarkable surge as he barrels toward the Democratic presidential nomination at a time when the nation is gripped by concern about the new coronavirus.
The former vice president’s victory was another blow to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose early strength has evaporated as African Americans and working-class whites across the country have sided with Biden.
But Tuesday’s primaries demonstrated the tremendous uncertainty confronting the Democratic contest as it collides with efforts to slow the spread of the virus that have shut down large swaths of American life. Polls were shuttered in Ohio even as voting moved forward in Florida, Illinois and Arizona, where some voters and elections officials reported problems.
It marked the third week in a row Biden began piling up wins after his victory in South Carolina last month revived his once-flagging campaign. Since then, most of his party’s establishment lined up behind him as the best option to unseat President Donald Trump in November.
As many people work from home and as schools and businesses close, the primary has remained in limbo, devoid of in-person rallies. Sanders’ pathway to the nomination has dramatically narrowed, but he isn’t expected to leave the race betting that the national political landscape will look different as the virus continues to reshape life across the country.
Sanders has
