And just like that, the Establishment strikes back.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, who just barely seemed to be hanging on to his campaign, surged into the spotlight (where many assumed he would be before his poor performances in Iowa and New Hampshire), raking in win on top of win during Super Tuesday.
So far, of the 14 states, U.S. territory and Democrats abroad up for grabs, Biden has locked in on nine states, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s own home state of Massachusetts, the Washington Post reports.
He also led in the double digits in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Alabama, while also securing a solid lead in Minnesota, Texas, and Oklahoma.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, long seen as the frontrunner after the early caucuses and primaries, easily won his home state of Vermont, and also held on to Colorado and Utah.
California, which allocates the largest amount of delegates in the nation, is still being decided (although Sanders is currently leading), as is Maine.
Sanders, who held on to the coveted frontrunner status for a few weeks, is now left to duke it out with Biden, who is clearly being presented as a viable alternative.
“For those who have been knocked down, counted out, left behind — this is your campaign,” Biden told supporters in Los Angeles late Tuesday evening, according to NPR.
Biden’s stunning performance has now questioned the viability of other candidates who just haven’t been making their mark, including Warren.
And former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who joined the race late and spent some $500 million on his campaign, only secured a win in American Samoa with about 50% of the vote.