Super Tuesday came and went in Massachusetts and 15 other states and territories, with President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump prevailing in their respective primary races and edging closer to receiving their respective parties’ nominations ahead of the November election.
In Boston, Biden won the Democratic primary, taking 77 percent of the vote. 14.1 percent of Boston voters selected “No Preference” to put Biden and his administration on notice to call for a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Dean Phillips received 4.3 percent of the vote and Marianne Williamson garnered 2.9 percent of the vote. Trump won the Republican primary in Boston, earning 51.3 percent of the vote to Nikki Haley’s 44.9 percent of the vote.
In the Republican contests, Trump beat Haley in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. Haley won the Vermont Republican Primary, the only victory for the South Carolina native on Super Tuesday.
Trump held a watch party at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, where his remarks showed a grim outlook on the country’s affairs, a tone Trump is likely to maintain throughout the campaign. In particular, Trump compared the United States to third-world countries.
“We live in a third-world country with no borders … We need a fair and free press. The press has not been fair nor has it been free,” said Trump. “Success will unite our country … We’re going to win this race because we have no choice.”
Haley suspended her campaign for the Republican nomination Wednesday morning, paving the way for Trump to become the Republican nominee.
“I am filled with gratitude for the outpouring of support we’ve received from all across our great country, but the time has now come to suspend my campaign,” Haley said at a rally Wednesday morning. “Although I will no longer be a candidate, I will not stop using my voice for the things I believe in.”
Haley called on Trump to earn the votes of her supporters. At campaign events across the country, many of Haley’s supporters refused to commit to voting for Trump if he is the nominee.
“It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him,” Haley said. “At its best, politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away. And our conservative cause badly needs more people. This is now his time for choosing.”
On the Democratic side, Biden beat challengers Phillips and Williamson in contests across the country in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia.
Biden did, however, come up short in the American Samoa Democratic Caucus to Jason Palmer, a largely unknown candidate in the Democratic primary.
Phillips of Minnesota dropped out Wednesday afternoon after announcing a long-shot bid for the White House last October.
“It is clear that the alternative is not me. And it is clear that Joe Biden is our candidate and our opportunity to demonstrate what type of country America is and intends to be,” Phillips said in a statement posted to X. “ In light of the stark reality we face, I ask you to join me in mobilizing, energizing, and doing everything you can to help keep a man of decency and integrity in the White House.”
Throughout the race, Biden had conducted himself as if it was a race between himself and Trump, rarely mentioning candidates like Haley and Phillips until they dropped out of their respective races. Additionally, Biden looks to further contrast himself from the former President as the campaign edges closer to November.
“Four years ago, I ran because of the existential threat Donald Trump posed to the America we all believe in,” Biden said in a statement released after polls closed. “Since then, we’ve made enormous progress … But we have more to do.”
Biden further noted the potential threat that Trump would pose to the country if elected to a second term.
“If Donald Trump returns to the White House, all of this progress is at risk. He is driven by grievance and grift, focused on his own revenge and retribution, not the American people,” said Biden. “He is determined to destroy our democracy, rip away fundamental freedoms … and he’ll do or say anything to put himself in power.”
On the path forward, Biden declared, “To every Democrat, Republican, and independent who believes in a free and fair America: This is our moment. This is our fight. Together, we will win.”
