Democrats narrow race to Biden and Sanders after Super Tuesday
Biden won at least nine states, while left-wing Senator Sanders had three in his pocket. Texas, the second largest state, was a near dead-heat between the two leaders, but Biden secured a narrow victory. California, the most populous state, was leaning to Sanders.
Primaries are not a winner-take-all and what matters is who gets the most delegates on a proportional basis. Tallying was ongoing.
Both candidates lack a pathway to a clear majority, constituting 1,991 delegates, by the party's convention in July.
The 77-year-old Biden consolidated the establishment wing of the Democratic party as he claimed victories across the southern US, thanks to his popularity among African-Americans and older voters. He now firmly has the momentum, building in recent days.
Left-wing Sanders was leading in liberal and Latino-heavy California - the biggest prize among the 14 states that cast votes - along with Vermont, Utah and Colorado. He did well with young voters too.
The other main contenders, billionaire Mike Bloomberg and progressive Senator Elizabeth Warren underperformed and have no viable path to the nomination.
Reports by major US broadcasters said Bloomberg's team was going to reassess its next steps on Wednesday. Warren seems to be pushing on despite pressure from Sanders' supporters to bow up and open space on the left.
After a lacklustre performance in early primary contests Biden is back where he started a year ago when he first announced his candidacy, as a front-runner.
