Joe Biden effectively snuffed out Bernie Sanders’ flickering chances of a comeback with commanding wins in three major states on Tuesday, further asserting his dominance over a Democratic nominating contest that’s become overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden blew out Sanders in Florida, the nation’s biggest battleground state, leading by nearly 40 points with most of the vote in. The former vice president similarly beat Sanders in Illinois, which was called a half-hour after polls closed. And he swept the night by winning in Arizona, the final state voting Tuesday after Ohio postponed its primary over safety concerns from the virus.


The lopsided night puts the race effectively out of reach for Sanders; he would need to win several upcoming primary contests by overwhelming numbers to climb back into contention. While the results are certain to increase pressure on Sanders to drop out, he has showed no signs of quitting, and Biden’s team has been sensitive about publicly appearing like they’re trying to push him out.