President Joe Biden encountered an unexpected setback on Super Tuesday, losing the caucus in American Samoa to relatively unknown candidate Jason Palmer. American Samoa, a tiny U.S.
territory in the South Pacific, holds significance in the Democratic primaries despite not being eligible for Electoral College votes.
With just 91 Democratic voters participating, Palmer secured 51 votes compared to Biden's 40. Although American Samoa only has six delegates, Palmer is anticipated to claim four, leaving Biden with two.
American Samoa, located approximately 5,000 miles away from the U.S. mainland, saw Palmer's victory despite him not physically visiting the territory. Instead, the Baltimore-based entrepreneur engaged with locals through virtual town halls.
Palmer's surprising win echoes Michael Bloomberg's victory in the 2020 Democratic primary race in American Samoa. Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, secured a win before eventually exiting the race and endorsing Biden.
Shortly after Palmer's win was announced, his campaign website crashed. His campaign highlighted his background, noting his experience at prominent institutions like Microsoft, Kaplan Education, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as his graduation from Harvard Business School.
This development adds another layer to Biden's challenges, as he already faces competition from better-known candidates like Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips and self-help author Marianne Williamson, who re-entered the primary race following her performance in the Michigan primary.
Before Palmer's win, Biden had lost two delegates to 'uncommitted' votes in protest against his stance on Israel amid the conflict in Gaza.
The last time a challenger defeated an incumbent president in a primary contest was in 1996 when Roland Riemers won in North Dakota because President Bill Clinton did not appear on the ballot. Clinton went on to win reelection despite the setback. In 1980, incumbent President Jimmy Carter lost Massachusetts to Senator Ted Kennedy, signaling early challenges before ultimately losing the general election to Ronald Reagan. Photo by American Samoa, Wikimedia commons.