Buttigieg Drops Out of US Democratic Presidential Primary... Sanders and Biden Emerging as Leading Duo (Comprehensive)

Facing the Wall of Racial Diversity, Election Campaign Halted... Ultimately a Tempest in a Teapot

Bloomberg's Late Surge Also Anticipated... Democratic Primary in Turmoil Ahead of Super Tuesday

▲Pete Buttigieg, former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who caused a sensation by taking first place in the first Democratic primary, announced his withdrawal just one month after the start of the primary. This decision, made ahead of the upcoming Super Tuesday on the 3rd (local time), is interpreted as a failure to overcome the wall of 'racial diversity.' As a result, the Democratic presidential primary is likely to solidify into a two-horse race between Senator Bernie Sanders, representing the party's progressive wing, and former Vice President Joe Biden, representing the moderate wing.

According to major foreign media including The Washington Post (WP) on the 1st (local time), Buttigieg's campaign announced that they would halt the election campaign and return to South Bend.

This decision, made ahead of Super Tuesday, came after Buttigieg finished fourth with a single-digit vote share (8.2%) in the South Carolina primary, the fourth Democratic primary held the day before. Buttigieg failed to secure a single delegate in the South Carolina primary.

With Tom Steyer, another presidential candidate, also announcing his withdrawal on the 29th, the remaining Democratic presidential primary candidates have been narrowed down to six: Senator Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Elizabeth Warren, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Representative Tulsi Gabbard.

Former Mayor Buttigieg gained attention by unexpectedly taking first place with the highest vote share in the Iowa caucus, the first hurdle of the Democratic primary, on the 3rd of last month. He then narrowly lost first place to Senator Bernie Sanders by securing 24.4% of the vote in the New Hampshire primary, finishing second.

However, he faltered in the Nevada and South Carolina primaries, finishing third and fourth respectively, revealing limitations in his appeal as a Democratic presidential candidate. Buttigieg's support among people of color, including Hispanics and African Americans, was low, and his identity as a 'gay man' also negatively affected conservative voters. Because of this, there were predictions that if he performed poorly in Nevada, where the majority of voters are people of color, his momentum could falter. In fact, Buttigieg barely passed the 15% cutoff with 15.4% of the vote in Nevada, finishing third. In the South Carolina primary, he fell to fourth place with 8.2% of the vote.

The New York Times (NYT) reported, "Buttigieg finished third in Nevada, where many Latino voters reside, and fell to fourth in South Carolina, where African American voters make up the majority," adding, "Exit polls show he received only 3% support from Black voters."

With Buttigieg's mid-race withdrawal, the Democratic presidential primary ahead of Super Tuesday is expected to see a fierce contest among Senator Sanders, former Vice President Biden, and Senator Warren, who represent the moderate wing. The key point to watch on Super Tuesday, when 14 states hold primaries simultaneously, will be who absorbs Buttigieg's moderate votes. Currently, former Vice President Biden, who won the fourth primary in South Carolina the day before with an overwhelming 48.4% of the vote, is highly likely to establish a two-horse race with Senator Sanders. Attention is also focused on how much support former Mayor Bloomberg, who has been considered part of the moderate trio along with Buttigieg and Biden, will receive. Bloomberg did not participate in the four regional primaries last month. Therefore, there are expectations that Bloomberg will show a late surge on Super Tuesday.

With Buttigieg's withdrawal, Senator Amy Klobuchar, who was grouped among the minor candidates, is also expected to face difficulties. Like former Mayor Buttigieg, Klobuchar has low support among people of color.

Buttigieg had breakfast with former President Jimmy Carter on the 29th. On that day, former President Carter told reporters, "I did Habitat activities in South Bend, Indiana last year," adding, "That was when I first got to know Buttigieg, and I liked him from the moment we met."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.