The Political Rundown
Three remain in the once record-breaking pool of candidates
Super Tuesday was a whirlwind as the U.S. watched the Democratic primary results of 14 states file in.
Joe Biden’s win in South Carolina was just a small sign of what was to come in Super Tuesday results.
Biden took 10 of the 14 states that voted on Tuesday, March 3 and has collected a total of 610 delegates, according to CNN. This has given Biden a solid lead against Bernie Sanders — who currently has 538 delegates.
The insurmountable lead that both Biden and Sanders took in this one day was the final hint the other candidates needed.
Five candidates stepped out of the race. Those being Tom Steyer, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Michael Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren, according to The New York Times.
The once record-breaking group of candidates has dwindled down to just three.
Even though Tulsi Gabbard is still in the race, she has only two pledged delegates which makes it nearly impossible for her to make a comeback at this point in the race.
While it has been clear since the first few primaries that the female candidates were not doing as well as the men, it has still been disheartening to see them all fall so far behind.
Warren was leading in the polls at one point. Yet, when it came down to it, voters did not pick her.
Lisa Lerer, a reporter for The New York Times, explored this topic after Warren announced her exit from the race on Thursday, March 5.
“For the first time in history, Americans saw a diverse group of female leaders pursuing the country’s highest office, an elite sorority that included former prosecutors, senators, a combat veteran and even a self-help celebrity,” said Lerer. “And, for the first time in history, a majority of Democratic voters rejected them all.”
All the women that have stepped out of the race have different opinions on what this loss means.
For some, like Kamala Harris, this is a sad reality and a sign of all the ways the U.S. has not progressed.
“The reality is that there’s still a lot of work to be done to make it clear that women are exceptionally qualified and capable of being the commander in chief of the United States,” Harris said to The Times.
While I think all the female candidates took the loss hard, some still remain optimistic for women in power.
Amy Klobuchar explained how she deals with no longer being in the race.
“It’s that you also see women with power,” Klobuchar said according to The Times. “They ended up by not choosing the women, but that doesn’t mean the women are going to go away.”
The mentality that women in power are not going away, is one of the most re-energizing and encouraging statements I have heard after this disappointing turnout.
These women may not have been the ones to make history, but that does not mean it is not coming soon.
It’s Women’s History Month and the future can still be female.
Kuchta can be reached at [email protected].
Tiana Kuchta is a fourth-year English critical studies student. Outside of The Spectator, she enjoys spending her time reading, being with family, catching up on Netflix and being surrounded by cats.