WASHINGTON (JTA) — Joe Biden was projected to win by a large margin the Democratic presidential primary in Florida, a state where Jewish turnout can make the difference in the general election.
Major media outlets called the Florida primary election Tuesday as soon as polls closed at 8 p.m. EDT. The former vice president was leading by 61 percent to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 23 percent, with 77 percent of the vote counted.
Biden will be able to argue that he is better positioned to win the swing state in November. Florida’s substantial Jewish population can make the difference in a state where statewide elections over the last 20 years have been decided by differences of just thousands or even hundreds of votes.
It will be very difficult for President Donald Trump to win reelection without winning Florida, as he did in 2016.
Biden will also likely extend his delegate lead substantially, making the nomination of Sanders, who is Jewish, increasingly unlikely.
Also going to the primary polls on Tuesday were Illinois and Arizona. Ohio, another potential swing state where the Jewish vote could make the difference, delayed its primary until June because of the coronavirus pandemic.
