US incumbent President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump easily won Tuesday’s primary election in the states of Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota.
It was Trump’s first appearance on the ballot since he faced a historic hush money trial in New York last week. The former president won uncontested in New Jersey with 98% of the vote. Biden also won in New Jersey with an easy 88% of the vote, although nearly 9% of voters checked the “uncommitted” box at the polls.
Trump won New Mexico with 84 per cent of the vote, where voters could still vote for rivals who had dropped out of the Republican presidential race. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who ended her presidential campaign in March and announced a fortnight ago that she would vote for Trump in the November 5 presidential election, still won nearly 9% of the vote in New Mexico. Biden, meanwhile, got 84% in New Mexico, but again lost 9% to the “uncommitted” ballot option.
Trump won the Montana primary with 87% of the vote, but lost 10% of the vote to the “no preference” option. Biden won 91% of the vote there.
Biden won a majority of the vote in South Dakota with 73 per cent. But he lost 12 per cent of the vote to little-known challenger Marianne Williamson and 11 per cent of the vote to Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips, another prominent Democratic candidate. Trump, meanwhile, was the only Republican candidate in South Dakota and was declared the winner by that state’s Republican Party.
There was also a Democratic Party primary in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, which Biden won with 87 per cent of the vote.
Summary
There are only a few contests left before the primary election season is over. However, these elections are merely a formality, as both Biden and Trump have long since secured the necessary number of delegates needed to secure their parties’ nominations.
Trump now has 2,243 delegates, nearly double the required 1,215 delegates. He will officially accept his party’s nomination at the Republican Party National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which will be held from July 15 to 18.
Biden, meanwhile, has 3,864 delegates, which is also nearly double the required 1,968 delegates. He will officially receive his party’s nomination at the Democratic Party National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, which will be held August 19-22.
