Joe Biden tops Bernie Sanders in Washington presidential primary

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to members of the press at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Starting with Super Tuesday and continuing through last Tuesday’s victories, he had a remarkable eight days. less Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to members of the press at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Starting with Super Tuesday and continuing ... more Photo: Matt Rourke /Associated Press Photo: Matt Rourke /Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Joe Biden tops Bernie Sanders in Washington presidential primary 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Ex-Vice President Joe Biden has finished first over Sen. Bernie Sanders in Washington's Tuesday presidential primary, after putting on virtually no campaign here.

Statewide totals tallied Thursday night show Biden with 491,749 votes, or 36.87%, to 464,767 votes, or 34.85%, for Sanders.

She had quit the race after Super Tuesday, but Sen. Elizabeth Warren still received 10.11% of the vote.

The primary was a big hit with Washington voters. A total of 1,333,780 votes had been counted in the Democrats' primary Thursday night. Just 230,000 people participated in the party's 2016 precinct caucuses, dominated by Sanders supporters.

President Donald Trump was unopposed on the Republican ballot. The total of ballots counted so far is 1,950,759 or 42.86% of Washington's registered voters.

Biden won it in the state's major population centers. He carried Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties, and was topping Sanders by about 10,000 votes in the progressive heartland of King County.

Delegates to the Democratic National Convention will be split between Biden and Sanders. Democrats practice proportional representation and abandoned winner-take-all primaries years ago.

Sanders' best margin came in Whatcom County and Bellingham.

Biden has come to the state only for fundraisers. Sanders drew 17,056 people to a Tacoma Dome rally earlier in 2020. Days before she quit the race, Warren had 7,000 people show support at the Seattle Center.

We may have seen the last big rallies for a time. Biden and Sanders are off the trail due to the COVID-19 outbreak. They will debate without audience Sunday night in Washington, D.C.

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