By — Meredith Lee Meredith Lee By — Yamiche Alcindor Yamiche Alcindor Leave a comment 0comments Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/biden-in-south-carolina-im-going-to-stay-in-this-for-the-long-haul Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH: In South Carolina, Biden says he’ll ‘stay in this for the long haul’ Politics Feb 24, 2020 11:38 AM EST After finishing a distant second to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in Nevada, former Vice President Joe Biden sought to calm concerns in South Carolina about his position in the 2020 Democratic presidential race. Biden’s first stop on Sunday in the Palmetto State came as Sanders, the current frontrunner, was within striking distance on his march toward the Democratic nomination. After attending an African-American Baptist church in North Charleston on Sunday morning, Biden told the PBS NewsHour in an interview that he’s confident his support in South Carolina will hold, especially among African-Americans who make up 60 percent of the state’s Democratic primary voters. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to stay in this for the long haul. I think we’ll do well here. I think we’ll win here,” Biden said. “And I think this could end up being a race between me and Bernie before it’s over.” But, Biden added he’s taking nothing for granted. “I’m here to earn their vote,” Biden said of the state’s black voters, among whom support for Biden has dropped as Sanders and businessman Tom Steyer have made gains in the state. Biden told the congregation at the Royal Baptist Church that African American voters in South Carolina have “the power, unlike any time in a long time to determine who the next Democratic nominee will be.” By — Meredith Lee Meredith Lee By — Yamiche Alcindor Yamiche Alcindor Yamiche Alcindor is the White House correspondent for the PBS NewsHour; the moderator of Washington Week, the weekly public affairs show on PBS; and a political contributor for NBC News and MSNBC. She often tells stories about the intersection of race and politics as well as fatal police encounters. She is currently covering the administration of President Joe Biden and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. @yamiche
After finishing a distant second to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in Nevada, former Vice President Joe Biden sought to calm concerns in South Carolina about his position in the 2020 Democratic presidential race. Biden’s first stop on Sunday in the Palmetto State came as Sanders, the current frontrunner, was within striking distance on his march toward the Democratic nomination. After attending an African-American Baptist church in North Charleston on Sunday morning, Biden told the PBS NewsHour in an interview that he’s confident his support in South Carolina will hold, especially among African-Americans who make up 60 percent of the state’s Democratic primary voters. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to stay in this for the long haul. I think we’ll do well here. I think we’ll win here,” Biden said. “And I think this could end up being a race between me and Bernie before it’s over.” But, Biden added he’s taking nothing for granted. “I’m here to earn their vote,” Biden said of the state’s black voters, among whom support for Biden has dropped as Sanders and businessman Tom Steyer have made gains in the state. Biden told the congregation at the Royal Baptist Church that African American voters in South Carolina have “the power, unlike any time in a long time to determine who the next Democratic nominee will be.”