Top Democratic super PAC says Biden will be the nominee

The leader of the largest super PAC dedicated to supporting the Democratic presidential nominee said Tuesday that early results out of key primary states showed former Vice President Joe Biden had built an insurmountable lead in the race for the nomination.

Guy Cecil, who heads Priorities USA Action, said in a tweet that Tuesday’s results made clear that Biden would be the party’s presumptive nominee, even before polls closed in two Western states.

“The math is now clear. Joe Biden is going to be the Democratic nominee for President and @prioritiesUSA is going to do everything we can to help him defeat Donald Trump in November. I hope others will join us in the fight,” Cecil wrote on Twitter.

A Priorities spokesman declined to comment beyond Cecil’s tweet.

The early results Tuesday showed another big night for Biden, who appeared set to build on his already formidable delegate lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) following wins in 10 of 14 Super Tuesday states last week.

Biden took more than 4 in 5 votes on Tuesday in Mississippi, a state where black voters dominate the Democratic electorate. The Associated Press projected he would win Missouri and Mississippi immediately after polls closed.

The results were a blow to Sanders, who has now lost another state — Michigan — that he won during his 2016 run against Hillary Clinton. On Super Tuesday, Biden won Maine, Minnesota and Oklahoma, all states Sanders won four years ago.

Voters in Washington and Idaho, both states Sanders won in 2016, were still casting ballots as Cecil issued his tweet. But there were signs that Sanders would have more trouble winning in both those states this year. Four years ago, Washington and Idaho held caucuses. This year, both states have switched to primaries, formats that have generally benefited Biden.

Priorities USA Action will be the largest outside group spending on behalf of the eventual Democratic nominee — whether that is Biden or Sanders. The group spent more than $190 million on behalf of Clinton’s campaign in 2016.

It has set a more ambitious goal this year, including $150 million in spending against President Trump even before Democrats are scheduled to pick their nominee at the convention in Milwaukee in July. In a memo in January, the group said it had secured $111 million in contributions and commitments, pulling in $28 million in that month alone.

Priorities USA has already started a sustained $30 million attack on Trump on television airwaves in Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, with another $40 million running on digital outlets such as YouTube and Pandora.