Hundreds of delegates at stake as both candidates face nagging doubts by their parties’ voters WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump were poised to move much closer to winning their parties’ nominations Tuesday during the biggest day of the primary campaign, despite many voters preferring something other than a November rematch from four years ago.

Super Tuesday features elections in 16 states and one territory — from Alaska and California to Vermont and Virginia. Hundreds of delegates are at stake, the biggest haul of the race for either party.

Biden and Trump started off the night by winning Virginia. Biden also won North Carolina, Vermont, North Carolina and Iowa, where Democrats previously held a presidential preference contest but didn’t release their results until Tuesday.

While much of the focus is on the presidential race, there are also important down-ballot contests. California voters will choose candidates who will compete to fill the Senate seat long held by Dianne Feinstein. The governor’s race will take shape in North Carolina, a state that both parties are fiercely contesting ahead of November. And in Los Angeles, a progressive prosecutor is attempting to fend off an intense reelection challenge in a contest that could serve as a barometer of the politics of crime.

Also read: Super Tuesday: GOP voters say immigration is their No. 1 issue, ahead of the economy

The spotlight, however, remains on the 81-year-old Biden and the 77-year-old Trump, who continue to dominate their parties despite both facing questions about their age and neither commanding broad popularity across the general electorate.

The earliest either can become his party’s presumptive nominee is March 12 for Trump and March 19 for Biden. But, in a departure from most previous Super Tuesdays, both nominations are effectively settled, with Biden and Trump both looking ahead to a reprise of the 2020 general election. Trump still faces one major challenger, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, but has mostly focused on Biden in his rallies and interviews.

“We have to beat Biden — he is the worst president in history,” Trump said Tuesday on “Fox & Friends.”

Biden countered with a pair of radio interviews aimed at shoring up his support among Black voters, who helped anchor his 2020 coalition.

“If we lose this election, you’re going to be back with Donald Trump,” Biden said on the “DeDe in the Morning” show hosted by DeDe McGuire. “The way he talks about, the way he acted, the way he has dealt with the African American community, I think, has been shameful.”