HOUSTON — All week, as former Vice President Joe Biden labored in South Carolina for his sweeping primary victory, other candidates jumped ahead to mine for delegate gold in a state that will be key to where the 2020 presidential race goes from here — Texas.
Michael R. Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York, was serving tacos and berries to Houston supporters a few days ago. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts rallied 2,100 in Houston and picked up the endorsement of an important national teachers union leader on Saturday. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont attracted thousands to rallies across the Lone Star State, one of the 14 states voting in the March 3 Super Tuesday primaries.
That competition heralds the big shift that will now take place in the Democratic nominating contest, with South Carolina’s primary votes having been counted. The 2020 race has abruptly turned from one-state-at-a-time combat into a national contest. Amassing delegates now is the name of the game.
