Joe Biden wins South Carolina Democratic primary

President Joe Biden won the South Carolina primary election on Saturday, defeating Democratic opponents Representative Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson, according to Associated Press (AP) projections.

The outlet called South Carolina’s Democratic primary for Biden about 25 minutes after the polls across the state closed at 7 p.m. Biden, who is seeking a second term, is being challenged by Phillips, who represents Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District and Williamson, a progressive author and spiritual leader.

The president garnered more than 96 percent of the vote, with Williamson in second at 1.6 percent and Phillips receiving 1.2 percent, according to results from AP at the time of publication.

The president reacted to his projected victory shortly after 7:30 p.m. in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

“In 2020, it was the voters of South Carolina who proved the pundits wrong, breathed new life into our campaign, and set us on the path to winning the Presidency,” Biden said in the post. “Now in 2024, the people of South Carolina have spoken again and I have no doubt that you have set us on the path to winning the Presidency again—and making Donald Trump a loser—again.”

Newsweek reached out via email on Saturday to representatives for Biden, Phillips and Williamson for comment.

Biden also urged people to vote in November, saying the stakes in this election “could not be higher.”

“There are extreme and dangerous voices at work in the country—led by Donald Trump—who are determined to divide our nation and take us backward, the president said. “We cannot let that happen.”

Phillips, who is not on the Nevada Democratic primary ballot, congratulated Biden on his South Carolina victory but showed no indication of dropping out of the race.

“Cracking four digits never felt so good! Congratulations, Mr. President, on a good old-fashioned whooping,” the congressman wrote in a post on X. “See you in Michigan.”

Last month, Biden defeated Phillips and Williamson with his write-in campaign in New Hampshire, which his supporters in the state launched for him after he declined to appear on its ballot over a dispute about the New England state’s placement in the primary schedule. Despite having to rely on a write-in campaign, the president won the January 23 election by double digits, amassing more than 63 percent of the votes while Phillips came in second with 19.6 percent, according to results shared by the AP. Williamson received about 4 percent of the vote in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary, the outlet reported.

The victories in New Hampshire and South Carolina were much needed for Biden, whose popularity among voters has been a major talking point in the 2024 campaign. The president’s approval rating percentage has steadily been in the low 40s for most of his term. It was at its highest when Biden first took office in January 2021 at 53.1 percent and at its lowest in July 2022 at 38.2 percent, according to poll aggregator FiveThirtyEight.

Several polls have also shown that a majority of Democrats would prefer an alternative candidate. Despite this, Phillips has struggled to make headway since he announced his primary challenge in October 2023. While the congressman launched his campaign by saying that he respected Biden and aligned with the president’s agenda, he raised concerns the incumbent would lose against former President Donald Trump in November.

Meanwhile, Trump also won the New Hampshire primary with 54.5 percent of the vote, ahead of his Republican opponent Nikki Haley with 44.7 percent. He also won the Republican Iowa caucus, winning 51 percent support. Republicans will make their selection in South Carolina on February 24.

Democratic voters in Nevada, which is a swing state in the general election, will make their picks on February 6.

Update 2/3/24, 8:55 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.