‘The expected Latino firewall for Bernie Sanders has been cracked,’ says Northwestern professor

Former Vice President Joe Biden’s strong showing in delegate-rich Texas provides the jolt needed to keep his campaign churning, says Northwestern University professor Jaime Dominguez. He also says the expected Latino firewall for Bernie Sanders has been cracked.

Dominguez and political science professor Alvin Tillery are available to comment on the Super Tuesday results as well as upcoming primaries.

Alvin Tillery is an associate professor of political science and director of the Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy at Northwestern. His research in American politics focuses on American political development, racial and ethnic politics, and media and politics. He can be reached at alvin.tillery@northwestern.edu. 

Quote from Professor Tillery
“The Democratic Primary race gained a new frontrunner last night with former Vice President Joe Biden’s sweep of 10 of the Super Tuesday states. The momentum that Biden garnered with his landslide win in South Carolina led to massive wins in the southern states, where African-American voters form the largest and most stable segment of the Democratic Party’s electorate. Biden also showed considerable strength in Maine and Massachusetts, two states where working-class, white voters form the largest voting blocs. 

“This fact nullifies one of Senator Bernie Sanders’ strongest arguments for the nomination and points to real trouble for him as the contest moves to the next round of primaries. One of the most interesting developments of the night was the anemic performance of Mike Bloomberg in the wake of his spending $500 million to blanket the airwaves in the Super Tuesday states with advertising. We now know that you can buy advertising and field workers, but you can’t buy votes in the Democratic primaries.”

Dominguez is an assistant professor of instruction in the department of political science in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern. His teaching and research focus on race and ethnicity, immigration, urban politics, Latino politics and Chicago politics. He can be reached at j-dominguez@northwestern.edu.  

Quote from Professor Dominguez
“Last night’s results make this a two-person race.Elizabeth Warren’s third place in her home state makes clear that her only path forward is through a contested election which is highly unlikely. She could drop out in the coming days. Biden’s strong showing especially in delegate-rich Texas provides the jolt needed to keep his campaign churning. In addition, the expected Latino firewall for Sanders has been cracked. Going forward, Sanders must show that he can win over black voters.”