Joe Biden won the Mississippi and Missouri primaries Tuesday, claiming two prizes among a half-dozen states voting to determine which Democrat will face President Donald Trump in November.
A week after dominating on Super Tuesday, Biden hoped to cement his status atop the Democratic field while Bernie Sanders sought a repeat of his success four years ago when an upset in Michigan revived his campaign and pitched the presidential contest into a monthslong battle to the end of the primary season.
On a day when concerns over the spreading coronavirus shadowed the campaign, primaries and caucuses were also held in North Dakota, Idaho and Washington state.
The balloting was modest compared to last week's, 15-contest Super Tuesday extravaganza. A mere 356 pledged delegates were at stake, compared to the nearly 1,400 week ago.
Still, the outcome in the half-dozen contests seemed likely to significantly shape the campaign going forward.
The vote came as the two candidates were moving in opposite directions: the former vice president on the ascent, showered with millions of dollars in contributions and bolstered by dozens of fresh endorsements after his strong Super Tuesday showing; Vermont's senator struggling to overcome Biden's growing momentum and delegate math that makes his path to the White House increasingly steep.
Biden entered the day with 664 pledged delegates to Sanders' 573, according to The Associated Press. It takes 1,991 delegates to win the nomination on the first ballot at the Democrats' July convention.
Before the polls closed, Sanders and Biden announced they were canceling election night rallies scheduled in Cleveland, ahead of next week's Ohio primary. Biden planned to speak instead at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, where his campaign is headquartered.
Both camps cited concerns from public health officials about the possible spread of the coronavirus within the large crowds the two candidates have been attracting.
"All future Bernie 2020 events will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis," a spokesman said.
Similarly, the Biden campaign said it would "continue to consult with public health officials ... and make announcements about future events."
The two are the main contestants for the Democratic nomination, even as Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard continues to campaign.
Of the day's contests, Michigan appeared to be the most important, offering the largest share of delegates _ 125 _ and carrying important symbolic overtones.
Sanders won the state four years ago, a victory that sparked his campaign just as Hillary Clinton seemed about to wrap up the nomination, and his emphasis on working-class issues seemed especially well tailored to a large blue-collar electorate that has faced years of industrial decline and a loss of jobs to low-wage countries. He canceled appearances in three other states to spend more time in Michigan, a move that underscored its political import.
As he did in 2016, Sanders focused on trade, attacking Biden for his support of the North American Free Trade Agreement while serving in the Senate in the 1990s. Sanders raised the issue in two TV spots, one featuring an auto worker who said his community "has been decimated by trade deals" and lumping Biden together with Trump.
During a last burst of campaigning Tuesday at a Fiat Chrysler auto plant in Detroit, Biden was confronted by a hard-hatted worker who accused him of "actively trying to take away our Second Amendment right and take away our guns."
"You're full of sh--," Biden replied. "I support the Second Amendment."
The two engaged in about a minute-long back-and-forth before Biden moved on.
Mississippi and Missouri had both appeared promising for Biden. Clinton beat Sanders in both states in 2016.
Mississippi, with its large African American population, seemed particularly opportune for Biden, who launched his resurgence with a big win Feb. 29 win in South Carolina and carried several Super Tuesday states on the strength of his support among black voters.
Sanders was also hoping for repeat wins in Idaho and Washington, which he carried in 2016 in landslides.
But those were caucuses state. This year both are holding primaries, which encourages greater participation. (Sanders pressed for a change in party rules that lessened the number of caucuses held this year compared to 2016.)
