President Joe Biden had a big Super Tuesday, but he didn't sweep every contest. In somewhat of a surprise, Jason Palmer won the Democratic presidential caucuses in American Samoa.
HIs campaign had forecast a strong showing in American Samoa, saying on March 1 that he was experiencing a "surge in momentum" ahead of Tuesday's vote.
Palmer's campaign secret? According to a post on X, he visited the U.S. territory.
“Washington D.C. is long overdue for a president who will be an advocate for American Samoa. The Meet & Greet in Malaeimi was a perfect way to learn more about what locals need the most. As a Democratic Candidate on the ballot, I’m here for the fight,” he tweeted Monday.
Palmer, 53, is a self-described businessman from Baltimore who says his politics are guided by his Quaker values.
The American Dream needs a serious upgrade. I am entering the 2024 presidential race to pass the torch to a new generation of Americans. Together, we can rebuild the American Dream.https://t.co/fRkVZCd24u#palmerforpresident2024 #RebuildTheAmericanDream #presidentialrace pic.twitter.com/HTQWRhpvtc
— Jason Palmer (@educationpalmer) November 10, 2023
He served as an investment partner at Baltimore-based New Market Venture Partners, an official of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, an organization executive at Microsoft and founder or investor in a series of education-related technology firms, according to his campaign.
American Samoa is a U.S. territory whose residents are U.S. citizens represented in Congress by a non-voting delegate. It has no votes the Electoral College.
American Samoa consists of a small cluster of islands in the Pacific Ocean colonized by the U.S. starting in the 19th century.
Biden won 40 votes to Palmer’s 51, giving Palmer 4 voting delegates to this summer’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Despite the one victory in American Samoa, Palmer poses little threat to Biden's path to the Democratic nomination. Palmer's campaign says that he is only on the ballot in 16 states and territories.
President Biden has also secured easy victories in every other contest so far this election cycle.
