Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden isn’t planning to stick around to celebrate the final vote tallies from the New Hampshire primary, where he faces the prospect of a disappointing finish.
Instead, Mr. Biden and his wife, Jill, are slated on Tuesday night to be in South Carolina, the home of the first-in-the-South primary on Feb. 29 that has long been seen as the 77-year-old’s firewall in the 2020 Democratic presidential race.
“I have enjoyed traveling across New Hampshire, speaking to countless Granite Staters who understand we are in a battle for the soul of this nation and I have relished fighting for each and every one of their votes,” Mr. Biden said in a statement. “I am looking forward to traveling to South Carolina this evening and Nevada later this week to carry our campaign forward and hear from the diverse voters whose voices must be heard in this process to select the Democratic nominee who will unite this country to defeat Donald Trump.”
Mr. Biden is scheduled to appear at a South Carolina “Launch Party” along with Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond, a former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. The doors open are set to open at 8 p.m., which is when polls close in New Hampshire.
Mr. Biden has had strong polling support from black voters, who comprise roughly 60% of the primary electorate in South Carolina.
That support, however, could be eroding.
A Quinnipiac University national poll released Monday found that his black support has dropped from 51% to 27%.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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