Maine called for Biden after close battle with Sanders

Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden has come out on top in Maine’s primary, having been declared the winner more than 12 hours after polls closed. He narrowly edged out the expected victor Bernie Sanders.

The two candidates were neck-and-neck as votes were counted overnight, with Biden finally pulling far enough ahead (with 94 percent of precincts reporting) for the AP to declare him the winner on Wednesday afternoon. The former vice president netted 34.1 percent of votes, putting him less than one whole point ahead of second-place finisher Sanders. The Vermont senator had been expected to win the state, a close neighbor of his home base.

Maine marks the eleventh state to go to Biden thus far and the tenth to back the centrist Democrat on Super Tuesday. Biden has surged to an unlikely lead after Sanders handily bagged the first three states to vote, though the former VP was buoyed by the exit of competitors Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar from the race over the last week.

He is likely to see his lead consolidate further now that billionaire rival Mike Bloomberg has mothballed his campaign and endorsed Biden. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren remains in the race despite being trounced by Biden and Sanders alike in her home state.

While Biden’s supporters have made much of the sudden “JoeMentum” of their candidate, not all Democrats are thrilled the party is putting all its eggs in this particular basket, noting the political lifer seems to be cognitively unraveling before the American public’s eyes. In recent weeks he has referred to the vote as “Super Thursday,” confused his wife with his sister, and forgotten the words to the Declaration of Independence. While the media politely refers to the disturbing incidents as “gaffes,” President Donald Trump, as many have cautioned, is unlikely to be so kind in the general election.

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