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15 maps show how much worse Bernie Sanders fared in the 2020 Super Tuesday primaries compared to 2016

15 maps show how much worse Bernie Sanders fared in the 2020 Super Tuesday primaries compared to 2016
Slideshows1 min read

On Super Tuesday 2020, Sanders emerged victorious in California, which he lost in 2016, but lost Oklahoma, Maine, and Minnesota — all of which he carried in 2016 — to Biden.

On Super Tuesday 2020, Sanders emerged victorious in California, which he lost in 2016, but lost Oklahoma, Maine, and Minnesota — all of which he carried in 2016 — to Biden.

In 2016, Sanders won Oklahoma, Minnesota, and Maine by 10, 24, and 29 percentage points, respectively, over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. He lost all three states to Biden in 2020.

As the chart notes, California, Utah, and Maine switched their primaries to Super Tuesday for 2020.

See full Super Tuesday 2020 results here

In 2020, Sanders slightly underperformed his 2016 margin in Alabama by about 2.5 percentage points.

In 2020, Sanders slightly underperformed his 2016 margin in Alabama by about 2.5 percentage points.

In both 2016 and 2020, Sanders was handily defeated by his rivals in Alabama and didn't win a single county in either cycle.

See full 2020 Alabama primary results here

Sanders also lost Arkansas in both the 2016 and 2020 cycles. In 2020, he carried just one county in the state and underperformed his 2016 margin by over seven points.

Sanders also lost Arkansas in both the 2016 and 2020 cycles. In 2020, he carried just one county in the state and underperformed his 2016 margin by over seven points.

California, which moved up its primary from June to Super Tuesday in March for 2020, is the only state so far that Sanders lost in 2016 but is expected to win in 2020.

California, which moved up its primary from June to Super Tuesday in March for 2020, is the only state so far that Sanders lost in 2016 but is expected to win in 2020.

While Sanders still won Colorado in 2020, his share of the vote fell by 22 %.

While Sanders still won Colorado in 2020, his share of the vote fell by 22 %.

Sanders handily won every county in Maine in 2016, but lost the state to Biden in 2020, seeing his vote share fall from 64% to just 33% in 2020.

Sanders handily won every county in Maine in 2016, but lost the state to Biden in 2020, seeing his vote share fall from 64% to just 33% in 2020.

Sanders' vote share in Massachusetts plummeted by almost 20 percentage points from 48% in 2016 to 26% in 2020, finding himself squeezed on both sides by Biden and Warren.

Sanders

In 2016, Clinton eked out a narrow 1.4% point win over Sanders in Massachusetts. But in one of the biggest upsets of Super Tuesday 2020, Biden carried the state by 7.2 percentage points.

Sanders picked up control of Suffolk County, which includes the city of Boston, and held control of Franklin and Hampshire counties in Western Massachusetts, but lost every other county he won in 2016.

See full 2020 Massachusetts primary results

Biden thoroughly defeated Sanders in Minnesota on Super Tuesday. Sanders' vote share in the state fell by nearly 32 percentage points from 62% in 2016 to 30% in 2020.

Biden thoroughly defeated Sanders in Minnesota on Super Tuesday. Sanders

In another huge Super Tuesday upset, Biden won Minnesota — where Sanders had led the polls — after its home-state Senator Sen. Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the race the day before the election and endorsed Biden.

See full Minnesota Democratic primary results here

Sanders' vote share in North Carolina fell by 17 percentage points between 2016 and 2020.

Sanders

As the map shows, Sanders particularly lost ground between 2016 and 2020 in the Appalachian Mountains region in the Western part of the state, which is disproportionately white, rural, and working class.

See full North Carolina 2020 Democratic primary results.

Oklahoma was one of two Super Tuesday states that Sanders overwhelmingly carried in 2016 but lost in 2020, with his vote share in the state falling by almost 27 percentage points.

Oklahoma was one of two Super Tuesday states that Sanders overwhelmingly carried in 2016 but lost in 2020, with his vote share in the state falling by almost 27 percentage points.

In 2020, Biden carried every single county in Oklahoma.

See full Oklahoma 2020 Democratic primary results here.

In Tennessee, Sanders won about 8,000 more votes in 2020 compared to 2016, but saw his share of the vote total decrease by over seven percentage points.

In Tennessee, Sanders won about 8,000 more votes in 2020 compared to 2016, but saw his share of the vote total decrease by over seven percentage points.

In Texas, which Sanders lost in both 2020 and 2016, his share of the vote slightly declined from 33% in 2016 to 30% as turnout dramatically increased.

In Texas, which Sanders lost in both 2020 and 2016, his share of the vote slightly declined from 33% in 2016 to 30% as turnout dramatically increased.

Sanders resoundingly won Utah in 2016 with almost 80% of the vote. While he carried the state again in 2020, his vote share fell by 44 points to 35%.

Sanders resoundingly won Utah in 2016 with almost 80% of the vote. While he carried the state again in 2020, his vote share fell by 44 points to 35%.

Sanders carried his home state of Vermont in both 2016 and 2020, but saw his margin of victory drastically fell by 72 percentage points in 2016 to 29 points over Biden this year.

Sanders carried his home state of Vermont in both 2016 and 2020, but saw his margin of victory drastically fell by 72 percentage points in 2016 to 29 points over Biden this year.
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