Democratic primary

The former vice president won by 30 points in South Carolina, giving him a big claim to being the principal alternative to Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The biggest day of the primary season began in the mid-to-late 1980s when Southern Democrats pushed their states to move up to try to stop whom they saw as liberal candidates who couldn't win.

The billionaire climate-change activist had staked his campaign on doing well in South Carolina but ended with a disappointing finish on Saturday.

The crucial win has the potential to resurrect Joe Biden's campaign after a series of poor finishes in other early voting states. The Associated Press projected the former vice president's victory.

The survey gives the former New York mayor enough polls showing him over 10% nationally to be on stage for the next Democratic debate Wednesday in Nevada.

Some Democratic presidential candidates want to ban fracking to help address climate change. That attracts young people, but may alienate swing voters in key oil and gas states like Pennsylvania.

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is the favorite, as progressives seem to be coalescing around him and moderates are split among several candidates.