Biden scores convincing victory in South Carolina

Biden scored a convincing victory in South Carolina’s Democratic primary on Saturday, riding a wave of African American support and ending progressive rival Bernie Sanders' winning streak.

The victory came at a crucial moment in Biden's 2020 bid as the moderate Democrat bounced back from underwhelming performances in the first three contests.

The race now quickly shifts toward next week's “Super Tuesday,” when voters in 14 states award one third of the total number of presidential delegates.

Biden hopes the South Carolina victory will be enough to establish him as the clear alternative to Bernie Sanders as the race moves into a new phase.

The South Carolina primary was the first major test of the candidates' appeal among black voters.

And while it gave the 77-year-old Biden a win when he most needed it, he must still prove that he has the financial and organizational resources to dramatically expand his campaign in the next 72 hours.

He will also be under pressure to rely on his decades-long relationships with party leaders to create a new sense of inevitability around his candidacy.