Reactions to Mini Super Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Idaho  |  Michigan  |  Mississippi  |  Missouri  |  North Dakota  |  Washington  |  More


Michigan Democratic Party
March 11, 2020

MDP Chair Lavora Barnes Statement on Historic Michigan Democratic Primary Turnout

LANSING– The Michigan Democratic Party released the following statement on behalf of Chair Lavora Barnes on the Democratic primary turnout explosion. In total, over 1.5 million Michiganders voted in the Michigan Democratic primary, setting a record for voter turnout.

“Last night, Michigan saw a turnout explosion, setting a record for votes cast in a Michigan Democratic primary and increasing turnout by over 28.8% over 2016. From his attacks on health care and access to clean water to his failure to grow manufacturing jobs in our state, Donald Trump has broken promise after promise to Michigan and yesterday, Democratic voters showed they’re ready to hold him accountable for that fact.

“I’m so proud of the dozens of Michigan Democratic Party organizers who have been working since 2017 in communities throughout our state to get out the vote, playing a critical role in this historic turnout. With the statewide, grassroots organization we’ve built, I know we’re ready to turn every corner of Michigan blue this November.”

Mississippi Secretary of State
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 10, 2020
CONTACT: Kendra James

MORE THAN 20,000 ABSENTEE BALLOTS REQUESTED FOR 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION

Jackson, Miss.— As of 7:30 a.m. today, 24,295 Mississippians requested absentee ballots for the March 10 Primary Election, and 21,392 absentee ballots have been returned to Circuit Clerks’ Offices.

“We are excited to see the increase in absentee voting and hope those numbers equate to a large turnout at the polls today,” said Secretary Michael Watson. “We’re encouraging all Mississippians to exercise their right to vote today.”

Currently, Mississippi has 1,920,958 active registered voters, which is about 4% higher than the number of active voters for the 2016 Presidential Primary Elections (1,848,450). In the 2016 Presidential Primary Elections, 20,842 absentee ballots were requested, with 18,467 absentee ballots returned. The number of absentee votes cast in 2016 Republican Primary Election totaled 11,546, and the number of votes cast in the 2016 Democratic Primary Election totaled 6,921, for a grand total of 18,467 absentee votes cast.

As a reminder, polls are open today from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Any voter in line at 7 p.m. is entitled to cast a ballot.  Voters can find their polling place and sample ballots for both party primaries by visiting the Secretary of State’s Polling Place Locator at yallvote.sos.ms.gov.

In Mississippi, Primary Elections are conducted by political parties, but our office will have observers in precincts across the state. Problems observed at the polls or otherwise reported to the Elections Division will be referred to the authorities, including the Attorney General’s Office or appropriate District Attorney’s Office, as the Secretary of State’s Office has no enforcement authority.

For more information about State election laws or Election Day information, visit Y’all Vote, yallvote.sos.ms.gov, or call the Elections Division Hotline at (601) 576-2550 or 1-800-829-6786.
Missouri Democratic Party

Missouri Democratic Party encouraged by early findings in Presidential Primary results

Kansas City, MO (March 10, 2020) – Today’s Presidential Primary election illustrates several positive findings for the Missouri Democratic Party. Lauren Gepford, Executive Director, commented:

“We feel positive and excited that what we’ve heard through on-the-ground conversations with our base is shown in today’s data – Missouri Democrats are united to defeat Donald Trump and Republicans up and down the ballot this November. ABC News exit polls found the vast majority of Missouri Democrats (82%) will support the eventual Democratic nominee.

According to several exit polls, healthcare remains the predominant top issue for the vast majority of voters. Missouri already struggles with large gaps in our healthcare system both in terms of insurance coverage and availability. Governor Parson, in lockstep with national Republicans, has kicked kids off their healthcare and actively campaigned against the Medicaid Expansion ballot initiative. We’re confident Missourians will show us in November that they won’t stand for that. 

Over 660,000 voters were cast for the Democratic Presidential Primary, a record breaking turnout higher than 2016. Around twice as many Democrats voted compared to Republicans. The wind is at the backs of Democrats this year.”
________________________________________________

Missouri Secretary of State
March 11, 2020
Maura Browning, Communications Director

Ashcroft Thanks Poll Workers and Election Officials for Great Work During Presidential Preference Primary

Jefferson City, Mo. — Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft thanked election officials from Missouri’s 116 election jurisdictions and their thousands of poll workers as the heroes of the Presidential Preference Primary. Among the state’s 114 county clerk offices and two city Boards of Elections, local election staff and poll workers are divided among more than 3,600 precincts across the state.

“Poll workers, election officials and their staff work very long hours under stressful conditions and always deal with a variety of complications throughout the day,” Ashcroft said. “Since the election in November 2018, county election staffs and boards of elections have been preparing for the Presidential Preference Primary. From maintaining and expanding their cybersecurity protections to recruiting and training poll workers, this day belongs to the people who are on the front lines protecting our right to vote.”

“Statewide, election offices and polling places – some overnight – had to implement changes as a result of facility closings due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) or due to unexpected events. In Kansas City, officials seamlessly set up a polling place and transferred equipment to a temporary facility due to the closure of a senior living facility. In St. Louis, officials worked quickly to negate any effect on voters at a polling location that was struck by an automobile. I want to thank each and every person who worked on Missouri’s election yesterday, and encourage more Missourians to assist our state in protecting everyone’s right to vote by being a poll worker,” Ashcroft said.

 —30—

North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party

Sanders Wins North Dakota In High Turnout Election

BISMARCK, ND — North Dakota’s final Democratic presidential primary results show that Sen. Bernie Sanders has won the state with 7,682 votes. Joe Biden received 5,742. Tulsi Gabbard received 89.

The turnout was incredibly high at 14,546 voters.

The North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party Chair Kylie Oversen said:

“Congratulations to Sen. Sanders and his supporters for their victory and the hard work they did to win North Dakota. Thank you to all the volunteers who made it possible for so many people to make their voices heard. It’s exciting to see so many people engaged for such an important election. Let’s keep this momentum going through November!”

More to come on the proportion of delegates for each candidate as the information is available.

###

Former Vice President Joe Biden
Primary Night Remarks
National Constitution Center
Philadelphia, PA
March 11, 2020

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION TRANSCRIPT  |  C-SPAN video

By the way we weren't planning a rally but our headquarters is just around the corner and these are all people who have been working like the devil to try to get us elected as the

So I want to thank my sister Valerie and my son in law Dr. Howard Krein are here.

And look, folks we were planning a big rally in Cleveland tonight, but the governor of Ohio asked the presidential campaigns to cancel their indoor public events in Cleveland, where it's large, large crowds of people. And that's what we did due to the coronavirus, and he was concerned about that. And as I've said all along that we would follow the guidance of the CDC, state and local officials and public health officials with respect to our campaign events. We'll continue to do that.

This is a matter, this whole coronavirus issue as a matter of presidential leadership, and later this week I'll be speaking to you on what I believe the nation should be doing to address this virus. But tonight, I want to speak to you from Philadelphia where we announced our campaign at the front end, where we did our final announcement.

To all those who have been knocked down, to all those who have been counted out, left behind, this is your campaign,

Just over a week ago many of the pundits declared that this candidacy was dead. Now we're very much alive.

And although, although there's a way to go, it looks like we're going to have another good night, with victories in Mississippi, Missouri, Michigan, and we're waiting to hear from North Dakota, Idaho and Washington State.

As I've said from the beginning, this election is one that has character on the ballot. The character the candidates, the character of the nation is on the ballot. It's more than a comeback in my view our campaign, it's a comeback for the soul of this nation.

This campaign is taking off and I believe we're going to do well from this point on. Take nothing for granted—want to earn every single vote in every single state.

But if you're willing. If you want to join us, go to JoeBiden.com. Sign up, volunteer and contribute that you can. We need you, we want you, and there's a place in our campaign for each of you.

And I want to thank Bernie Sanders and his supporters for their tireless energy, and their passion. We share a common goal, and together, we will defeat Donald Trump. We'll defeat him together. We're going to bring this nation together.

We're regenerating a Democratic base, the Democratic Party, the African American community, high school educated folks like the ones I grew up with and Claymont not far from here in my own neighborhood; labor, suburban women, veterans, firefighters, union members, and so many more—people of every economic station. The poor who are struggling, andthey are struggling in this environment. The middle class, who worries about whether or not they're going to be able to hang on and stay there, maintain their economic security.

They're the reason Jill and I got involved this in this campaign in the first place, and they're  reason why I became a Democrat so long ago. And I can't tell you,  I really mean this from bottom my heart, I can't tell you how much I appreciate the confidence they've shown me thus far. And the way they turned out to vote for me.

In my first campaign, when I was a kid a long time ago, I had a billboard that said one thing on it. Had a picture of my wife and children and it said, for all our families. That's all it was. For all our families. That included Democratic families, families of independent voters, Republican families. Every one of every stripe. For all our families.

And look, that's what we're able to accomplish in South Carolina. That's what we did on Super Tuesday. And it appears, although it's a little premature, it appears that what we were able to do tonight.

In just the past week so many of my incredibly capable competitors have endorsed me. Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Beto O'Rourke, Mike Bloomberg, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, Together, together we're bringing this party together. That's what we have to do. Tonight we are a step closer to restoring decency, dignity and honor to the White House. That's our ultimate goal.

And at this moment whenthere's so much fear in the country, when there's so much fear across the world, we need American leadership. We need presidential leadership that's honest, trusted, truthful and steady. Reassuring leadership. If I'm given the honor of becoming your President, I promise you. I'll strive to give the nation that very leadership every day, every day I have a privilege to hold office.

That's the reason why I'm running for president. I believe we're in an incredible moment in American history, a phenomenal opportunity to deliver a bold progressive vision to the American people, guaranteeing that every American has health care, affordable health care, total health care,
not a privilege, but a right. Building on Obamacare.

Providing every child access to a good education regardless of their zip code,  to deal with the moral depravity of our children who have to learn as they go to school, little children, to duck and cover, zigzag down a hallway, because they fear someone with a semi automatic weapon may be coming in. We have to stand up to the gun manufacturers and the NRA, and I will do it.

We have to rebuild the middle class, we have to rebuild the middle class and this time bring everybody along, everybody along.

And my fellow Americans we have to once again lead the world. Donald Trump's America first policies made America alone. You know in the fight against climate change we have to rally the rest of the world to act, and act now, to rejoin the Paris Climate accord on day one; make it clear to our allies that we will honor our commitments, that our word can be trusted. And make clear to adversaries that we will stand fast in restoring world order. That's the American responsibility.

Tonight, I'm speaking to you from the National Constitution Center, not far from where two of the most important documents in all of history were written.

The Declaration of Independence. We hold these truths to be self evident. Those words became the American creed known around the world.

The US Constitution. We the People. These words literally changed the world.

We've never fully lived up to the promise of either those documents, but we've never ever before walked away from them.

And they're a reminder of what's at stake in this election. Our very democracy is at stake in this election. As I said from the moment I announced not far from here, that I believe we're in the battle for the soul of this nation.

With Donald Trump as president, our core values, our standing in the world, our very democracy, everything that has made America America is truly at stake. I believe this nation can overcome four years of Donald Trump, but given, eight, four more years, he'll forever and fundamentally change the very character of this nation. We can't let that happen.

But winning means, but winning means uniting America, not sowing more division and anger. It means having a president who not only knows how to fight, but knows how to heal.

It means replacing a president who demeans and demonizes people with a president who believes in empathy, compassion, andrespect for everyone.

It is my hope that the days of divisiveness will soon be over. We're a decent, brave, resilient people. We are better than this moment we're in.  We just, what we have to do, we just need to remember who we are. This is the United States of America. There's not a single thing we cannot do if we do it together.

We're on close to the eve of St Patrick's Day. I'm fond of a, quote, some of you have heard me quote many times, a fellow that I admired very much who passed away not long ago, a poet called Seamus Heaney. He wrote a poem called "The Cure at Troy." And here's what he said in one stanza, he says history teaches us, not to hope on this side of the grave. But then once in a lifetime longed for tidal wave of justice rises up and hope and history rhymes. I truly believe it's within our power for the first time in a long time because of what's happened in the past three years, the power to make hope and history rhyme.

That's what we're going to do. God bless you all, and may God protect our troops.

###

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Campaign Update
Hotel Vermont, Juniper Hall
Burlington, VT
March 11, 2020

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION TRANSCRIPT  |  C-SPAN video

Thank you all very much for being here.  Let me begin by reiterating what I have said from day one of this campaign. And that is that Donald Trump is the most dangerous president in the modern history of our country and he must be defeated.

Tragically, we have a president today who is a pathological liar, and who is running a corrupt administration. He clearly does not understand the Constitution of the United States, and thinks that he is a president who is above the law. In my view, he is a racist, a sexist, a homophobe, a xenophobe and a religious bigot, and he must be defeated. And I will do everything in my power to make that happen.

Last night, obviously was not a good night for our campaign from a delegate point of view. We lost in the largest state up for grabs yesterday, the state of Michigan; we lost in Mississippi, Missouri, and Idaho. On the other hand, we won in North Dakota, and we lead the vote count in the state of Washington, the second largest state contested yesterday, with 67% of the votes having been counted we are a few thousand votes on top.

What became even more apparent yesterday, is that while we are currently losing the delegate count—approximately 800 delegates for Joe Biden and 60 for us—we are strongly winning in two enormously important areas, which will determine the future of our country.

Poll after poll, including exit polls, show that a strong majority of the American people support our progressive agenda. The American people are deeply concerned about the grotesque level of income and wealth inequality in this country, and the American people want the wealthy and large profitable corporations to start paying their fair share of taxes, overwhelming support for that.

The American people understand that the federal minimum wage of 7.25 an hour is a starvation wage; they want to raise the minimum wage in this country, to a living wage of at least $15 an hour.

And the American people understand that if our kids are going to make it into the middle class of this country, we must make public colleges and universities and trade schools tuition free.

The American people understand that we cannot continue a cruel and dysfunctional healthcare system, and it is amazing to me to see that even in conservative states like Mississippi there is an overwhelming understanding that we are now spending twice as much per capita on health care. as do the people of any other country, while 87 million of us remain uninsured or underinsured. And this crisis, this absurd healthcare system, is becoming more and more obvious to the American people as we face the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic that we are currently experiencing. imagine facing a pandemic and having 87 million people who are having a difficult time going to a doctor when they need.

And the American people know, unlike Donald Trump, that climate change is an existential threat to our country in the planet and that we need to transform our energy system away from fossil fuel to energy efficiency and sustainable energy.

And the American people also know that we need fundamental transformation of a broken and racist criminal justice system, as well as a cruel immigration system that keeps millions of people living in fear.

But it is not just the ideological debate that our progressive movement is winning. We are winning the generational debate. While Joe Biden continues to do very well with older Americans, especially those people over 65, our campaign continues to win the vast majority of the votes of younger people. And I am talking about people not just in their 20s, but in their 30s and their 40s. The younger generations of this country continue in very strong numbers to support our campaign.

Today I say to the Democratic establishment in order to win in the future, you need to win the voters who represent the future of our country and you must speak to the issues of concern to them. You cannot simply be satisfied by winning the votes of people who are older.

While our campaign has won the ideological debate, we are losing the debate over electability. I cannot tell you how many people,our campaign has spoken to who have said and I quote, I like what your campaign stands for, I agree with what your campaign stands for, but I'm gonna vote for Joe Biden, because I think Joe is the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump, end of quote. We have heard that statement all over this country. Needless to say, I strongly disagree with that assertion. But that is what millions of Democrats and independents today believe.

On Sunday I very much look forward to the debate in Arizona with my friend Joe Biden. And let me be very frank as to the questions that I will be asking Joe.

Joe, what are you going to do for the 500,000 people who go bankrupt in our country because of medically related debt, and what are you going to do for the working people of this country and small business people who are paying on average 20% of their incomes for healthcare?

Joe, what are you going to do to end the absurdity of the United States of America being the only major country on Earth where health care is not a human right? Are you really going to veto a Medicare for All bill if it is passed in Congress?

Joe, how are you going to respond to the scientists who tell us we have seven or eight years remaining to transform our energy system before irreparable harm takes place to this planet because of the ravages of climate change?

Joe, at a time when most young people need a higher education to make it into the middle class, what are you going to do to make sure that all of our people can go to college or trade school regardless of their income, and what are you going to do about the millions of people who are struggling with outrageous levels of student debt?

Joe, at a time when we have more people in jail than Communist China, a nation four times our size, what are you going to do to end mass incarceration and a racist criminal justice system? And what are you going to do to end the terror that millions of undocumented people experience right now because of our broken and inhumane immigration system?

Joe, what are you going to do about the fact that we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on Earth, and living with the fact that 500,000 people tonight are homeless and 18 million families are spending half of their income to put a roof over their heads?

Joe, importantly, what are you going to do to end the absurdity of billionaires buying elections, and the three wealthiest people in America owning more wealth than the bottom half of our people?

So let me conclude the way I began. Donald Trump must be defeated and I will do everything in my power to make that happen. On Sunday night in the first one on one debate of this campaign the American people will have the opportunity to see which candidate is best positioned to accomplish that goal. Thank you all very much.

###

Democratic National Committee
from David Bergstein, Director of Battleground State Communications
March 11, 2020

UPDATE: The story of the primary -- Democratic "turnout explosion"

Reporters --

The Democratic “turnout explosion” continued last night -- and fresh polling shows “roughly 80% in each state say they will definitely vote for the Democratic candidate against Trump no matter who is nominated.”

It’s the latest indicator that Democratic voters are energized, unified around defeating Trump, and strongly positioned ahead of the general election

Some key updates:

  • Democrats are unified to defeat Trump: AP exit polling shows “roughly 80% in each state say they will definitely vote for the Democratic candidate against Trump no matter who is nominated.”
  • In Idaho: 107,000 voters participated, five times the 2008 turnout and quadrupling turnout from 2016.
  • In Michigan: In a Democratic “turnout explosion,” voter participation hit almost 1.6 million, surpassing 2016 turnout by 30 percent and exceeding 2008.  
  • In Mississippi: Voter turnout increased by more than 20 percent compared to 2016.
  • In Missouri: Democratic turnout surpassed 2016 turnout by tens of thousands.
  • In North Dakota: Almost 15,000 voted, quadrupling the turnout from 2016.
  • In Washington: With 67 percent reporting, Democrats have already quadrupled 2008 and 2016 turnout, while CNN found 9 in ten of those surveyed in the state “would vote for the Democrat in November regardless of who the nominee is.”


...and from March 3
Reporters --

The story of the primary so far is big Democratic turnout --  a key sign that Democratic voters are energized, reforms to the nominating process are helping increase participation, and Democrats are strongly positioned ahead of the general election.

In the early states, Democratic voters blew through previous presidential years’ turnout:

In New Hampshire: With more than 300,000 votes cast, New Hampshire Democrats topped 2008’s historic turnout (288,672) and zoomed past 2016’s turnout (254,780). Women accounted for 57 percent of Democratic turnout, according to exit polls.

In Nevada: Roughly 105,000 Nevadans turned out, including nearly 75,000 who caucused during the historic four days of in-person early voting. Total turnout was roughly 25 percent higher than in 2016 and a majority of Nevadans who caucused were first-time caucus-goers.

In South Carolina: A record-breaking 539,136 South Carolinians voted in this year’s primary, shattering 2016’s total (370,904) and beating 2008’s turnout (532,151).

And early returns available from some Super Tuesday states show how Democratic enthusiasm is continuing and surpassing previous cycles:

In North Carolina: over 500,000 Democrats have already voted, breaking 2008 records and representing 125 percent of the 2016 turnout, according to the North Carolina Democratic Party.

In Texas: More than one million Texas Democrats have voted early, surpassing 2016 early-vote returns. According to the Texas Democratic Party, in the 15 most populous counties over 200,000 more Democrats have voted than Republicans.

In Minnesota: After switching to a presidential primary, 82,000 Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party absentee ballots have already been requested, compared to roughly 12,000 Republican ballots.

In Colorado: After switching to a presidential primary, over 619,000 Democrats have returned their ballots compared to 526,000 Republicans.

Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.
- MARCH 10, 2020 -

Trump campaign statement on March 10th Democrat primaries

“It has never mattered who the Democrat nominee turns out to be, and now that there are only two options left, it is clear that they are two sides of the same coin. The Democrat candidate for president will be running on a big government socialist agenda regardless of the name on the ballot. It is also clear that the Democrat establishment has rallied around the confused Joe Biden in an effort to deny the nomination to Bernie Sanders. Either way, President Trump is on an unstoppable drive toward re-election.”

- Brad Parscale, Trump 2020 campaign manager

Republican National Committee
March 10, 2020

RNC Statement on March 10th Primaries 

WASHINGTON — Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel released the following statement on tonight's primaries:
 
"Make no mistake, both of the remaining candidates support the same radical policies that have failed every time they have been tried. No matter which socialist Democrats end up nominating as their standard bearer, they will prove to be no match for President Trump’s America-First agenda and his winning record of results.”
  
###