Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersMcConnell accuses Democrats of sowing division by 'downplaying progress' on election security The Hill's Campaign Report: Arizona shifts towards Biden | Biden prepares for drive-in town hall | New Biden ad targets Latino voters Why Democrats must confront extreme left wing incitement to violence MORE (I-Vt.) said Sunday that he is confident in his prospects of winning the South Carolina primary if he wins earlier contests in Iowa and New Hampshire.

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South Carolina has been referred to as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonHillicon Valley: FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden | Treasury Dept. sanctions Iranian government-backed hackers The Hill's Campaign Report: Arizona shifts towards Biden | Biden prepares for drive-in town hall | New Biden ad targets Latino voters FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden MORE's firewall because of her support among African-American voters, but Sanders said during an appearance on CBS's "Face The Nation" that he is doing better with black voters than public polls show.

"Let me just say that the poll in South Carolina was 60 to 38. If that's the case, it is showing us making huge, huge gains," he said. "And I feel confident that if we can win here in Iowa, if we can win in New Hampshire — and those are going to be tough races — I think we stand an excellent chance to win in South Carolina and in Nevada."

"But if you look at the polling recently, and I can tell you because I have been to South Carolina, we have a lot of momentum on the ground," Sanders continued. "I think we're picking up more and more African-American support. Frankly, I think we can win there."

Sanders and Clinton have been duking it out Iowa and New Hampshire ahead of voting there at the beginning of next month.

Clinton supporters have said that the former secretary of State will fare better when the campaign moves to South Carolina and later Nevada because she performs better with minority voters than the Vermont senator.

Sanders has been visiting historically black colleges and universities recently to try to win support from African-American voters. He has also received an endorsement from and made appearances with rapper Killer Mike.