Biden now has enough delegates to officially clinch the Democratic nomination


What has long been obvious is now official.
After several states, Washington, D.C., and Guam finished tallying Democratic primary votes this week, former Vice President Joe Biden has accrued enough delegates to clinch the party's presidential nomination, The Associated Press and CNN report. Biden has been the presumptive nominee since April, when his last remaining competitor, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) dropped out of the race, but he's now set to face President Trump in November's general election.
Biden struggled in the primary's early stages, but a dominant performance in South Carolina — buoyed by the state's black voters — helped him rebound. Before Biden's win in the Palmetto State, it looked like Sanders was the favorite for the nomination. But when many of Biden's moderate competitors had dropped out and endorsed him, and after Biden won the majority of delegates on Super Tuesday, it became clear the tides had turned. Sanders stayed in the race for a while, and is still on the ballot in some states so he can amass more delegates to influence the Democratic National Convention, but he too has endorsed Biden for the presidency.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“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,” Biden said in a statement Friday. Read more at The Associated Press and CNN.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US