Voters in six states will head to the polls Tuesday in what will be the first primaries since the field for the Democratic presidential nomination shrunk to two top contenders.
Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and Washington state will be the first states to vote since former Vice President Joe Biden took the lead in the delegate count over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) on Super Tuesday. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) also remains in the race.
Last week, Biden rode a series of endorsements from moderate candidates to a series of momentum-shifting wins, powered by wins in southern states. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg have all dropped out the race since the beginning of March, and all have endorsed Biden. Sen. Elizabeth Warren also dropped out following Super Tuesday.
Biden currently leads the delegate count over Sanders, 670-574.
Tonight, all eyes will be on Michigan — widely regarded as a battleground state in the 2020 general election. President Donald Trump flipped the state red in the 2016 general election, defeating Hillary Clinton by a mere 11,000 votes.
Sanders defeated Clinton in the 2016 Michigan primary, but Biden currently holds a comfortable lead in the polls heading into Tuesday's vote. Tonight, 125 delegates are at stake in Michigan — the biggest prize of the night.
The second-largest state up for grabs is Washington, which will award 89 delegates. The state uses mail-in ballots, so the state may not be called until the early hours of Wednesday morning, or later. Because some voters may have submitted their ballots before last week, Biden may miss out on the advantage afforded to him by endorsements from other moderates.
See more info about the states hitting the polls today below:
Idaho
Polls close: 10 p.m./11 p.m.
Delegates: 20
Michigan
Polls close: 8 p.m./9 p.m.
Delegates: 125
Mississippi
Polls close: 8 p.m.
Delegates: 36
Missouri
Polls close: 8 p.m.
Delegates: 68
North Dakota
Polls close: 8 p.m.
Delegates: 14
Washington
Polls close: 11 p.m.
Delegates: 89
Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.
