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Essential question

Why do state primaries matter in a presidential election?

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On the heels of wins for Hillary Clinton in the Nevada Democratic caucuses and Donald Trump in the South Carolina Republican primary, candidates are gearing up for Super Tuesday on March 1 when a dozen states will hold their primaries. After a disappointing finish in South Carolina, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush suspended his campaign Saturday. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who took second place in the South Carolina primary, has the Republican establishment behind him and hopes to attract younger and more diverse voters with his campaign, according to NewsHour Political Director Lisa Desjardins. The establishment has so far withheld their support from outside candidates like Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who took third in the South Carolina primary. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders needs to strategize where to focus his campaign in the coming weeks, according to Desjardins. The Vermont senator has a good shot in New England states like Massachusetts on Super Tuesday but may have a harder time in southern states like Georgia. Sanders will also look to gain better standing among minority voters; Clinton earned 76 percent of the African-American vote in Nevada. Democrats will have their turn to vote in South Carolina’s primary this Saturday while Republicans choose their candidates in Nevada on Tuesday.

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Key terms

Super Tuesday — the Tuesday in February or March of a presidential election year when the greatest number of states hold primary elections to select delegates to national conventions at which each party's presidential candidates are officially nominated delegates — individuals chosen to represent their state at the Republican and Democratic party conventions where each party selects its candidate prior to a presidential election

Warm up questions ( before watching the video)

1. How many Republicans are currently running for president?


2. What are state primaries?


3. Have people been following the presidential race where you live? If so, in what ways?

Critical thinking questions ( after watching the video)

1. Why do you think Jeb Bush decided to pull out of the race after South Carolina?


2. Why is it important for Bernie Sanders’ campaign to gain more votes within the African-American community?


3. How might having the support of the Republican Party give Marco Rubio an advantage over his opponents who claim to be outside the establishment?