Near sweep for Biden could signal end of race

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, accompanied by his wife Jill arrives to speak to members of the press at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Tuesday, March 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) less Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, accompanied by his wife Jill arrives to speak to members of the press at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Tuesday, March 10, ... more Photo: Matt Rourke / Associated Press Photo: Matt Rourke / Associated Press Image 1 of / 7 Caption Close Near sweep for Biden could signal end of race 1 / 7 Back to Gallery

Joe Biden won the Michigan primary and three other states Tuesday, cementing his status atop the Democratic field and heightening calls for Bernie Sanders to stand aside and begin the process of unifying the party to face President Trump in November.

On a roll since taking command of the race last week in a remarkable turnaround, Biden also carried Missouri and Mississippi easil, padding his delegate lead over the Vermont senator and lengthening the odds of Sanders mounting a similar comeback.

Biden, appearing in Philadelphia, struck a solemn tone as he thanked Sanders and his backers for “their tireless energy and passion” and sounded several notes — a paean to the middle class and the promise of “a bold, progressive vision” — that seemed aimed at winning their support.

“We share a common goal and together we’ll defeat Donald Trump,” he said. “We’ll defeat him together.”

Sanders remained silent. In a break with election night tradition, his campaign announced there would be no public statement or appearance by the candidate after he flew home to Burlington, Vt., to await the results.

On a day when concerns over the spreading coronavirus shadowed the campaign, Biden also won in Idaho, and North Dakota and Washington races had not been called by press time.

The balloting was modest compared with last week’s 15-contest Super Tuesday extravaganza. A mere 352 pledged delegates were at stake, compared with nearly 1,400 a week ago.

Still, the outcome in the six contests seemed likely to significantly shape the campaign going forward.

The vote came as the two candidates were moving in opposite directions.

After facing near political death, the former vice president was on the ascent, showered with millions of dollars in contributions and bolstered by dozens of fresh endorsements after his 10 Super Tuesday victories. (He picked up another Tuesday night, from former opponent Andrew Yang.)

Sanders was struggling to overcome Biden’s growing momentum as well as delegate math that makes his path to the White House increasingly steep.

Many in the party suggested it was time for the senator to face an increasingly bleak reality.

South Carolina Rep. James E. Clyburn, whose endorsement was instrumental in launching Biden to victory in his home state — a win that changed the course of the race overnight — said on NPR that it was time to “shut this primary down,” starting with the cancellation of a two-man debate scheduled for Sunday in Phoenix.

Guy Cecil, the head of Priorities USA, a major Democratic political action committee, said “the math is now clear” and announced the organization would throw its considerable weight behind Biden, beginning Wednesday with a TV spot in the November battleground state of Pennsylvania.

On the left, Ilya Sheyman, former head of the progressive political group MoveOn, sent “love and care” to Sanders and his campaign even as he signaled his belief the Democratic race was over. “We need unity in Nov. to stop Trump, win Senate & build future,” he wrote on Twitter.

Before the polls closed, Sanders and Biden announced they were canceling election night rallies scheduled in Cleveland ahead of next week’s Ohio primary. Biden spoke instead at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, where his campaign is headquartered.

Of Tuesday’s contests, Michigan appeared to be the most important, offering the largest share of delegates — 125 — and carrying important symbolic weight.

Sanders won the state four years ago, a victory that sparked his campaign just as Hillary Clinton seemed about to wrap up the nomination.

But Biden, with the endorsement of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, ran strongly among Michigan voters of all types: black and white, those with college degrees and without, city dwellers as well as suburbanites, and won by more than 14 percentage points.

Mark Z. Barabak is a Los Angeles Times writer.