TEAMS.
TEAMS. >>> BALLOTS HAVE BEEN CAST AND
DROP BOXES ARE CLOSED.
I'M JOYCE TAYLOR.
>> AND I'M MARK WRIGHT.
THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES
PURSUE THEIR PARTY'S NOMINATION
AND PRESIDENT TRUMP SEEKS RE-
ELECTION.
ELECTION.
ELECTION. LOOK HOW CLOSE THESE NUMBERS
ARE.
ARE.
ARE. BERNIE SANDERS HAS 32.7% OF THE
VOTE TO JOE BIDEN'S 32.5%.
THE VOTE SEPARATION IS JUST
ABOUT 2,000 VOTES, SO IT'S VERY
CLOSE BUT A LOT MORE BALLOTS
HAVE TO BE COUNTED.
>> BALLOTS WERE MAILED OUT ON
FEBRUARY 18th.
FEBRUARY 18th. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
CAST THEIR VOTES BEFORE SUPER
TUESDAY.
TUESDAY.
TUESDAY. AND IF WE FACTOR IN THE
CANDIDATES WHO ALREADY DROPPED
OUT, 12% VOTED FOR ELIZABETH
WARREN, 11% FOR MICHAEL
BLOOMBERG.
BLOOMBERG. >> THE ONLY STATE VOTING TODAY
WITH MORE DELEGATES THAN THE
STATE OF WASHINGTON, MICHIGAN.
AND TAKE A LOOK.
NBC IS CALLING JOE BIDEN THE
WINNER THERE.
WINNER THERE. SO TO HELP US BREAK DOWN THESE
NUMBERS SO FAR, CHIEF POLITICAL
REPORTER CHRIS DANIELS LIVE IN
THE NEWSROOM, HEY, CHRIS.
>> HI, MARK, YEAH, MICHIGAN,
MISSOURI, MISSISSIPPI ALL GOING
FOR JOE BIDEN AND I'M JOINED
NOW BY OUR KING 5 NEWS
POLITICAL ANALYST RON SIMMS AND
SCOTT McCLELLAN.
SCOTT McCLELLAN. WASHINGTON THE SECOND BIGGEST
DEMOCRATIC HAUL.
DEMOCRATIC HAUL. THE BIGGEST ONE, MICHIGAN.
AND SCOTT HAS BEEN CHOMPING AT
THE BIT FOR THE LAST HOUR AND A
HALF.
HALF.
HALF. HE'S BEEN CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS
ON MICHIGAN IN PARTICULAR.
AND WHAT STANDS OUT TONIGHT
THAT'S A STATE THAT BERNIE
SANDERS WON IN THE PRIMARY FOUR
YEARS AGO.
YEARS AGO. >> THAT'S RIGHT.
AND ALL ACROSS THAT STATE, JOE
BIDEN IS RUNNING STRONGER THAN
HILLARY CLINTON DID FOUR YEARS
AGO.
AGO.
AGO. NOW,
AGO. NOW, REMEMBER IN THE GENERAL
ELECTION, MICHIGAN WAS KEY.
IF DONALD TRUMP DOESN'T WIN
MICHIGAN, HE IS NOT PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.
HE WON IT BY 11,000 VOTES.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING TONIGHT
IS THAT JOE BIDEN IS RUNNING
STRONG IN RURAL AREAS.
HE'S RUNNING STRONG AMONGST
SUBURBAN VOTERS.
SUBURBAN VOTERS. AND HE'S RUNNING STRONG AMONG
AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTERS.
AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTERS. THAT BODES WELL FOR HIM HEADING
INTO THE GENERAL ELECTION AND
CAPTURING MICHIGAN AND MAYBE
SOME OF THOSE OTHER STATES THAT
WENT REPUBLICAN LAST TIME AFTER
NOT GOING REPUBLICAN FOR MANY
YEARS IN WISCONSIN,
PENNSYLVANIA.
PENNSYLVANIA. AND THEN OHIO IS ALWAYS A KEY
STATE AS WELL.
>> SO HERE CLOSER TO HOME, RON,
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ALL NIGHT
ABOUT OUR KING 5 SURVEY USA
POLL OF WASHINGTON STATE VOTERS
IN ADVANCE OF THIS.
ESSENTIALLY A DEAD HEAT BETWEEN
JOE BIDEN AND BERNIE SANDERS
TONIGHT, WE ESSENTIALLY HAVE
THOSE RESULTS PLAYING OUT.
A DEAD HEAT BETWEEN THOSE TWO.
ANYTHING THAT SURPRISES YOU?
I THINK YOU WERE A LITTLE
SURPRISED BERNIE DIDN'T HAVE A
BIGGER CUSHION.
BIGGER CUSHION. >> I THOUGHT BERNIE WOULD HAVE
A BIGGER CUSHION.
BUT WASHINGTON STATE IS A GOOD
BAROMETER FOR THE REST OF THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. IF YOU LOOK AT THE POLLS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED
IN THE VOTING, WE LOOK LIKE
AMERICA.
AMERICA.
AMERICA. AND SO I THINK THAT BIDEN AND
BERNIE WERE VERY CLOSE.
BIDEN'S GOING TO BE THE
NOMINEE.
NOMINEE.
NOMINEE. AND THAT EXCITES ME FOR A
NUMBER OF REASONS.
BUT BERNIE WAS A GOOD
CANDIDATE.
CANDIDATE. HE IS GOING INTO A MEETING
TOMORROW.
TOMORROW.
TOMORROW. HE MADE THAT REALLY CLEAR AFTER
MICHIGAN THAT HE WAS GOING TO
BRING HIS PEOPLE TOGETHER.
AND I THINK THE REAL ISSUE FOR
HIM IS WHERE CAN I GO NOW AND
WIN?
WIN?
WIN? WHERE CAN I GET THE MONEY TO GO
NOW AND WIN?
BUT I THINK THIS IS NOW A JOE
BIDEN'S RACE TO LOSE.
>> LAST 15 SECONDS, YOU THINK
IT'S OF OVER?
>> I DO.
>> I DO.
>> I DO. YOU'RE HEARING THAT FROM JOE
BIDEN TONIGHT.
BIDEN TONIGHT. HE'S TRYING TO APPEAL TO
SANDERS SUPPORTERS HIMSELF AND
THE REVOLUTION IS DONE.
>> WE'LL LEAVE YOU WITH THAT,
SCOTT McCLELLAN, RON SIMMS, OUR
KING 5 NEWS POLITICAL ANALYSTS.
BACK TO YOU.
>> I HAVE A SPLIT QUESTION
THEN, IF IT TURNS OUT THAT
BIDEN IS THE NOMINEE, TO ME HE
HAS TWO PROBLEMS -- HOW DOES HE
UNIFY THE PARTY AND BRING
SANDERS SUPPORTERS TO HIS CAMP
AND ALSO GET THE YOUNGER VOTERS
WHO REALLY FOR DEMOCRATS ARE IN
SANDERS CAMP AND NOT REALLY
WITH BIDEN.
WITH BIDEN. >> I THINK THAT IF I WERE JOE
BIDEN I WOULD SAY THIS TO YOUNG
VOTERS, IF YOU DON'T VOTE, YOU
VOTED FOR THE WINNER.
SO IF I'M THE DEMOCRATIC
NOMINEE, YOU VOTED FOR TRUMP.
YOU CAN'T SAY THAT YOUR NOT
VOTING DID NOT COUNT.
IT IS A FACTOR.
I THINK HE'LL BRING THEM INTO
PLAY IN A VERY BIG WAY.
AND I'M VERY CONFIDENT ABOUT
YOUNGER VOTERS MOVING TO JOE
BIDEN.
BIDEN.
BIDEN. >>
BIDEN. >> I THINK IT'S TWO SETS OF
VOTERS, YOUNGER VOTERS AND
LATINO VOTERS THAT JOE BIDEN
WILL BE REACHING OUT TO NOW
THAT HE'S SEIZED COMMAND IN THE
RACE.
RACE.
RACE. I
RACE. I CAN'T SEE SANDERS STAYING IN
THIS RACE.
THIS RACE. THERE'S JUST NOT A PATH FORWARD
TO OVERCOME THE DELEGATE
DIFFERENCE THAT IS AHEAD, GIVEN
THE STATE THAT IS REMAIN THAT
ARE STRONG FOR BIDEN LIKE
FLORIDA, GEORGIA, STATES LIKE
THAT WHERE HE'S GOING TO WIN
BIG.
BIG.
BIG. >>
BIG. >> JOYCE, MARK?
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU.
>> FASCINATING.
>> FASCINATING. SO SO FAR DEMOCRATS HAVE SHOWN
A HIGHER TURNOUT IN THIS VOTE.
THE CHAIRMAN OF WASHINGTON'S
REPUBLICAN PARTY SAYS THAT DOES
NOT SHOW A LACK OF SUPPORT FOR
INCUMBENT PRESIDENT, DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP.
TRUMP. HE
TRUMP. HE JOINED US EARLIER TO TALK
ABOUT THE PRIMARY ELECTION
RESULTS.
RESULTS.
RESULTS. >> NOT AT ALL.
IN THIS PRIMARY YOU HAD 13
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES AND ONLY
ON OUR SIDE JUST PRESIDENT
TRUMP.
TRUMP.
TRUMP. DEMOCRAT VOTERS IN WASHINGTON
STATE HAD EVERY REASON TO
PARTICIPATE.
PARTICIPATE. YOU HAD MICHAEL BLOOMBERG
SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF
ADS DURING SEAHAWKS PLAYOFF
GAMES, DURING THE SUPER BOWL.
BERNIE SANDERS HAD A RALLY IN
TACOMA.
TACOMA.
TACOMA. THEY HAVE 13 CANDIDATES DRIVING
OUT THEIR VOTERS AND WE SAW
REALLY UNPRECEDENTED TURNOUT.
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS RECEIVING
MORE VOTES IN THIS PRIMARY THAN
ANY REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE IN THE
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON STATE
PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES.
PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES. AND HE'S DOING THAT WHILE HE
WAS UNOPPOSED.
WAS UNOPPOSED. WE'VE SEEN ALMOST 600,000
PEOPLE PARTICIPATE.
PEOPLE PARTICIPATE. THAT IS A RECORD FOR
PARTICIPATION.
PARTICIPATION. >> AS WE HAVE MENTIONED,
SENATOR SANDERS AND FORMER VICE
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, THEY HAVE
HAD A SLIM MARGIN BETWEEN THE
TWO OF THEM, A FRACTION OF A
PERCENTAGE POINT.
PERCENTAGE POINT. THE CHAIR OF WASHINGTON'S
DEMOCRATIC PARTY SAYS WHILE
SUPPORTERS ARE SPLIT, THEY'LL
HAVE THE SAME END GOAL.
>> I THINK WHAT IT MEANS IS
PEOPLE ARE DIVIDED ON WHO THEY
WANT TO HAVE CARRY OUT THE
IDEALS OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
WE HAVE TERRIFIC CANDIDATES,
THINK WE WANT DO TO GET TO THE
SAME DESTINATION OF UNITY AND
HEALTH CARE FOR EVERYONE,
FIXING OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM.
WE MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENCES ON
HOW WE GET THERE BUT THE
DESTINATION IS THE SAME AND
DEMOCRATS WILL BE THERE IN
NOVEMBER.
NOVEMBER.
NOVEMBER. >> THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF
ACTIVITY AT THE KING COUNTY
ELECTION HEADQUARTERS AMID
RECORD TURNOUT.
RECORD TURNOUT. >> NATALIE SWABY JOINS US LIVE
FROM RENTON WITH THE STORY,
GOOD EVENING.
GOOD EVENING. >> Reporter: YEAH, WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT 40% TURNOUT AS OF
TODAY AND THERE'S STILL BALLOTS
TO BE COUNTED.
THAT IS RECORD BREAKING FOR
KING COUNTY FOR A PRESIDENTIAL
PRIMARY.
PRIMARY.
PRIMARY. THEY TELL ME THE PREVIOUS
RECORD WAS 34%.
NOW, HERE THE DOORS CLOSED AT
8:00 TONIGHT.
8:00 TONIGHT. WE WANT TO SHOW YOU WHAT IT
LOOKED LIKE EARLIER AS PEOPLE
WERE ARRIVING HERE TO EITHER
REGISTER AND VOTE OR TO DROP
OFF A BALLOT TODAY.
NOW, IN ANOTHER PART OF THE
BUILDING, THERE WERE PROCESSING
THOSE BALLOTS AND THAT'S WHERE
WORKERS WERE REQUIRED TO WEAR
GLOVES BECAUSE OF CORONAVIRUS
CONCERNS.
CONCERNS.
CONCERNS. THE BALLOTS ARE BEING CAREFULLY
CHECKED AND ONE THING WORKERS
ARE LOOKING FOR, VOTERS MUST
MARK DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN ON
THEIR BALLOT.
THEIR BALLOT. SO FAR ABOUT 24,000 PEOPLE HAVE
FAILED TO DO THAT OR TO SIGN
THEIR BALLOT.
THEIR BALLOT. AND KING COUNTY ELECTIONS WILL
BE CONTACTING THOSE PEOPLE.
THEY HAVE UNTIL MARCH 19th TO
GET THAT PARTY PREFERENCE ISSUE
RESOLVED AND STILL COUNT THE
BALLOT.
BALLOT.
BALLOT. IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, THEN
THE BALLOT IS CONSIDERED
INVALID.
INVALID.
INVALID. TONIGHT WE HEARD FROM A FEW
VOTERS ABOUT HOW THEY MADE
THEIR DECISION.
THEIR DECISION. >> I DECIDED TO VOTE FOR
BERNIE.
BERNIE.
BERNIE. STUDENT LOANS ARE A BIG ISSUE.
AND SO I'M HOPING TO GET SOME
CHANGE SEEN WITH THAT.
AND I DON'T KNOW, WE'LL SEE.
>> I JUST THINK THAT WE CAN
PROBABLY GET A LITTLE BIT OF
BACK TO NORMAL WITH JOE BIDEN
COMPARED TO THINGS THE WAY THEY
ARE NOW.
ARE NOW.
ARE NOW. >> JOE BIDEN, YOU KNOW, I THINK
HE'S GOING TO WIN.
AND I WAS A KAMALA HARRIS GUY,
BUT YOU KNOW, SHE JUST DIDN'T
GET ANY TRACTION.
SO JOE WAS PROBABLY MY SECOND
OR THIRD PICK FROM THE
BEGINNING.
BEGINNING. BUT YEAH, I'M OKAY WITH JOE,
YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW? >> Reporter: KING COUNTY
ELECTIONS SAYS THEY TALLIED
ABOUT HALF OF THE BALLOTS
TONIGHT AND THE MAJORITY OF THE
BALLOTS SHOULD BE COUNTED BY
FRIDAY.
FRIDAY.
FRIDAY. THE ELECTION SHOULD BE
CERTIFIED BY MARCH 20th.
LIVE IN RENTON, NATALIE SWABY,
KING 5 NEWS.
>> ALL RIGHT, NATALIE, THANK
YOU.
YOU.
YOU. SO
YOU. SO BERNIE SANDERS WON THIS
STATE'S DEMOCRATIC CAUCUSES
FOUR YEARS AGO, BUT THIS YEAR
BALLOTS CAST IN THE PRIMARY
ELECTION WILL DETERMINE WHO
GETS THE DELEGATES.
>> KING 5'S SEBASTIAN ROBERTSON
JOINS SANDERS SUPPORTERS AT A
WATCH PARTY TONIGHT.
SO SEBASTIAN, HOW ARE THINGS
GOING THERE?
GOING THERE? >> Reporter: WELL, WHAT WAS A
WATCH PARTY FOR SENATOR SANDERS
HAS FIZZLED BACK INTO REGULAR
EVENING CROWD IN CAPITOL HILL
IF YOU SHOULD SAY IT THAT WAY.
I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT IT
WASN'T A MODEST CROWD BECAUSE
THE CANDIDATE CAN'T DRAW, IT
WAS A MODEST CROWD BECAUSE WHAT
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR
THE LAST WEEK OR SO, WHICH IS
THE CORONAVIRUS.
THE CORONAVIRUS. AND THAT CAUSED ALL MAJOR
CAMPAIGN EVENTS HERE IN THE
GREATER SEATTLE AREA TO BE
CANCELED.
CANCELED.
CANCELED. THIS WAS THE ONLY LOOSELY
ORGANIZED SANDERS EVENT THAT
TOOK PLACE IN A PUBLIC PLACE WE
COULD FIND.
COULD FIND. HERE'S WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE AS
RESULTS CAME DOWN IN KING
COUNTY JUST AFTER 8:00.
MAYBE A LITTLE OVER A DOZEN
PEOPLE HERE SUPPORTING THE
SENATOR AND AS WE SAW THIS RACE
WAS RAZOR THIN AND THE RESULTS
WERE A SURPRISE TO AT LEAST ONE
KING COUNTY VOTER.
>> BUT I THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE
STILL MORE CANDIDATES IN THE
RACE TONIGHT, HONESTLY.
I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT ALL OF THE
CANDIDATES BE DROPPING OUT AND
COALESCING AROUND VICE
PRESIDENT BIDEN.
PRESIDENT BIDEN. AND IT'S A LOT CLOSER THAN I
THOUGHT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,
SENATOR SANDERS HAD WON SO
OVERWHELMINGLY IN 2016.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A
SURPRISE.
SURPRISE.
SURPRISE. >> Reporter: THIS EVENING
STARTED WITH A LOT OF OTHER
STATES THAT ARE HOSTING
PRIMARIES WITH THOSE ELECTIONS
BEING CALLED VERY QUICKLY.
THAT IS PROVING NOT TO BE THE
CASE NEAR WASHINGTON STATE AS
THE DIVIDE REMAINS RAZOR THIN
AND WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT 24
HOURS AND COMING DAYS WILL BE
VERY TELLING FOR WHO WINS THE
DELEGATES HERE IN WASHINGTON
STATE.
STATE.
STATE. IN
STATE. IN CAPITOL HILL, SEBASTIAN
ROBERTSON, KING 5 NEWS.
>> THANK YOU, SEBASTIAN.
SO HOW IS THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN
VIEWING WASHINGTON TONIGHT?
WE TALKED WITH THE NATIONAL
PRESS SECRETARY FOR THE
CAMPAIGN, KALEY.
CAMPAIGN, KALEY. SHE TOLD KING 5 IT DOESN'T
MATTER IF BIDEN OR SANDERS WIN
BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT VIEWS
THEM AS HAVING SIMILAR IDEALOGY
OF BIG GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER.
WHAT SHE SAYS WILL BE
INTERESTING IS VOTER TURNOUT IN
OUR STATE FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP.
>> WELL, PRESIDENT TRUMP, YES,
OF COURSE, IS THE FOREGONE
VICTOR IN THESE PRIMARIES AND
CAUCUSES, BUT IT IS INTERESTING
TO SEE WEEKS WHEN HE BREAKS
RECORDS AND VOTE TOTALS OR
TURNOUTS IN STATE THAT IS WE'RE
NOT EVEN MAKING A PLAY FOR AT
THE MOMENT.
THE MOMENT. >> AS OF YESTERDAY, 62% OF
RETURNED BALLOTS IN WASHINGTON