Presidential hopeful Joe Biden (D) sounded confident that he would win the upcoming South Carolina primary after the latest Democratic debate.
In an interview with CBS News on Tuesday night, Biden said, “I’m going to win South Carolina.”
When asked how large of a margin of victory Biden thought he would have in the primary, he said he didn’t know, but he said even if he wins a narrow victory that would still be a win for him, “One point is enough.” He added that he believes he “can win by a lot more than that.”
Watch the interview below:
Former Vice President @JoeBiden sounded confident when he spoke to @MajorCBS after the debate: "I'm going to win South Carolina." @MajorCBS joins us from Charleston. pic.twitter.com/xL5mJtMX2M
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) February 26, 2020
South Carolina has been seen as a must-win state for Biden, who has claimed he has “overwhelming support” from African American voters. In South Carolina, African American voters are expected to account for about 60% of primary goers.
However, a recent poll found that Biden’s support among African American voters is slipping. Meanwhile, that poll found that Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) now leads the candidate in support of African American voters, according to a Reuters/Ipsos national poll.
One positive sign for Biden’s campaign is that recent polls have shown he is still in first place in South Carolina, and several analysts said he had a strong debate performance after a string of lackluster debates.
Biden was asked during the debate on Tuesday night if he would end his campaign if he lost South Carolina. But he appeared to rule that possibility out, simply answering, “I will win South Carolina.”
A win in South Carolina could give Biden the boost his campaign has been looking for. However, some moderate Democrats, who are worried about Sanders becoming a drag on the party, are beginning to wonder if it is too late to stop him from winning the nomination.