The 2020 presidential race has a crowded field of competitors, and many are making their way to Los Angeles for fundraisers, rallies, and other events. KCRW is tracking each candidate's visit to LA -- the dates, locations, and significance of what happens. As candidates come through, Jack Pitney, a professor of American Politics at Claremont McKenna College, weighs in on each visit.
The latest: On March 2, one day before 14 states hold primaries, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren is speaking at a rally at East LA College in the evening. Senator Bernie Sanders gave his own rally at the LA Convention Center on March 1, where thousands of supporters came.
"Sanders is hoping for a strong plurality that will translate into a disproportionate share of delegates. Warren is hoping to stay above the 15% threshold, both statewide and in as many districts as possible. Both of them face an unexpected obstacle in Joe Biden. He is getting massive media attention because of his South Carolina victory, together with the withdrawals and endorsements of Buttigieg and Klobuchar," says Pitney.
He says the big question is how much support Biden will get from the candidates who've dropped out: "First, millions of votes are already in the box. Second, it is by no means certain that all of their supporters will switch to Biden. It is also unclear whether Bloomberg will hold his current level of support or lose a bundle of votes to Biden. We will start to know on primary night, but the key word is start. As mail ballots pour in later in the week, the results could change substantially."
Click on each headshot in the map to learn more about each candidate's visit, with brief commentary from Pitney.
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