Former Vice President Joe Biden has won the Alabama presidential primary, clinching another Southern state as he seeks to shore up his position in the Democratic race.
ABC and CNN called the race for Biden right as the polls closed around 8 p.m. ET. Biden finished ahead of several other candidates in the Yellowhammer State, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Alabama, with 52 pledged delegates up for grabs, is one of more than a dozen states holding primaries and caucuses Tuesday.
The former vice president was a favorite to win the state. FiveThirtyEight’s forecast shows Biden with a 61 percent chance of winning.
Biden appears to have benefited from robust support among the state’s African American voters, just days after black voters boosted Biden’s momentum by propelling him to a decisive victory in South Carolina.
CNN’s exit polling out of Alabama showed Biden with 69 percent support among nonwhite voters.
African American voters also pushed Biden to victories in Virginia and North Carolina, where he was also declared the winner just as polls closed Tuesday.
The former vice president’s support with African American voters was likely bolstered by the endorsement from Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), the highest-ranking African American in Congress, ahead of the South Carolina primary.