NEW YORK _ Joe Biden breezed to victory in New York's Democratic presidential primary Tuesday, a symbolic feat for the presumptive nominee that adds to his momentum ahead of the party's nominating convention this summer.
Biden, the only candidate left in the Democratic race, was crowned the winner almost immediately after polls closed in the Empire State at 9 p.m. Eastern time, with early results showing him trouncing Bernie Sanders by more than 40% of the vote.
Biden didn't immediately react to the results.
Earlier in the day, as New Yorkers headed to polling locations across the state, the former vice president tweeted: "The American people are tough, resilient, and always full of hope. There's not a single thing we can't do if we do it together."
Biden effectively became the party's nominee after Sanders dropped out of the race in April.
However, in an usual agreement aimed at bridging the gap between Democratic progressives and moderates, Biden agreed to let Sanders stay on the ballot in the remaining primaries, so that he could keep collecting delegates and gain more influence over the party's convention platform.
New York's Democratic presidential primary nearly didn't happen after the state's Board of Elections tried to cancel it over health concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic.
However, failed presidential candidate Andrew Yang and supporters of Sanders filed a lawsuit over the Board of Elections move, prompting a federal judge to reinstate the presidential contest.
The Democratic National Convention, where Biden will formally accept his party's nomination, is scheduled to start Aug. 17.
Contrary to the Republican Party, the Democrats are expected to hold a largely virtual convention in order to not worsen the spread of COVID-19.
