Biden celebrated his early wins in Illinois and Florida with a solemn address to supporters calling for the country to come together in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, while also thanking Bernie Sanders and his supporters for the “remarkable passion” they have brought to the Democratic race.
Speaking from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, with a backdrop of black cloth and flanked by two American flags, Biden remarked that his campaign “has had a very good night” and is moving closer to securing the Democratic presidential nomination.
He also thanked election officials and poll workers in the three states with in-person voting for ensuring people could cast their ballots while also remaining safe.
“It’s important to get through this crisis protecting both the public health and our democracy,” he said.
Biden said that his campaign is building a broad coalition that includes support from African-Americans, the Latino community, labor, firefighters, teachers, suburban women and others.
“We’re doing it with a common vision,” he said, adding that he and Sanders share that vision.
The former vice president also thanked Sanders and his supporters for bringing “remarkable passion and tenacity” to issues like healthcare, income inequality and climate change, and delivered a message directly to young Sanders supporters.
“To young votes who have been inspired by Senator Sanders: I hear you, I know what’s at stake. I know what we have to do,” he said. “Our goal as a campaign and my goal as a candidate for president is to unify this party and to unify the nation.”
Biden also praised Americans for altering their lives as public health officials rush to limit the spread of the coronavirus, saying that Americans are “ordinary people doing extraordinary things when the need arises and today we are moving quickly to adapt our routines to meet this challenge.”
“It’s in moments like these we realize we need to put politics aside and work together as Americans,” Biden said. “The coronavirus doesn’t care if you’re a Democrat or Republican. It will not discriminate based on national origin, race, gender or your zip code. It will touch people in positions of power as well as the most vulnerable people in our society. We’re all in this together.”
