Former Vice President Joe Biden formally nabbed the Democratic presidential nomination on Friday, as the Associated Press reported. Ever since his last challenger in the Democratic primary, Senator Bernie Sanders, dropped out of the race in April, Biden has been presumed to be the party’s leader. However, following the most recent batch of primaries, Biden is now the official Democratic nominee for the presidency and will face off against sitting President Donald Trump in November.
The Associated Press reported that Biden currently has the 1,991 delegates needed to clinch the nomination after a handful of states, including Pennsylvania and New Mexico, held primaries on Tuesday. On Friday night, the former Vice President released a statement in which he noted that there was originally a large field of candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for the presidency, including everyone from Senator Kamala Harris to South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Naturally, his statement also touched upon the current coronavirus pandemic and the protests calling for racial justice and widespread reform regarding law enforcement. He said, “A little more than three months ago I stood on stage in South Carolina and told the American people that ours was a campaign for everyone who has been knocked down, counted out, and left behind. Those words take on an ever greater resonance today, at a time when so many Americans are hurting and have suffered so much loss.”
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Biden then continued to discuss those who vied against him for the Democratic presidential nomination. Of course, he also shared his hopes that Americans will go out and vote come November 3rd. Biden’s statement continued, “It was an honor to compete alongside one of the most talented groups of candidates the Democratic party has ever fielded — and I am proud to say that we are going into this general election a united party. I am going to spend every day between now and November 3rd fighting to earn the votes of Americans all across this great country so that, together, we can win the battle for the soul of this nation, and make sure that as we rebuild our economy, everyone comes along.”
According to the Associated Press, Biden officially has 1,995 delegates (1,991 are needed to earn the nomination). While there are still contests to come in eight states and three United States territories, the former Vice President has formally earned the right to call himself the Democratic nominee for the presidency. This means that he will face off against Republican President Trump in November. Considering that he will face off against the sitting president, Biden had some very specific words for Trump in his recent statement. Biden took direct aim at the president, saying, “This is a difficult time in America’s history. And Donald Trump’s angry, divisive politics is no answer. The country is crying out for leadership. Leadership that can unite us. Leadership that can bring us together.”
