Pledged nationalconvention delegates Type CD1 5 CD2 6 CD3 5 CD4 3 CD5 5 CD6 5 CD7 4 CD8 5 CD9 6 9 At-large 14 Total pledged delegates 67 The 2020 Arizona Democratic presidential primary took place on March 17, 2020, the third primary Tuesday of the month, as one of three contests on the same day in the Democratic Party primaries for the 2020 presidential election, while the contest in Ohio had been postponed for roughly a month. The closed primary allocated 80 delegates towards the 2020 Democratic National Convention, of which 67 were pledged delegates allocated according to the results of the primary.
Three major candidates ran in the primary, including former vice president Joe Biden, senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont, and representative Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii's 2nd district. 12 other candidates who withdrew prior to the contest were also on the ballot, along with three minor candidates. Biden won the primary, with almost 44% of the vote and 38 delegates, while Sanders came in second place with almost 33% of the vote and 29 delegates. In a distant third was former mayor Michael Bloomberg, who came close to 10%, even though he had suspended his campaign nearly two weeks before and had issued an official withdrawal with the state, still remaining on the ballot.
Biden won 13 of 15 counties, with the exception of Coconino and Yuma, and 7 of 9 congressional districts. Key to his victory were white voters, whom he won 51-32 per CNN exit polls, and suburban voters, who he won 53–32. In a stark contrast from 2016, Sanders' strength was reliant primarily on non-white and Hispanic voters, whom Biden won by only 47-45 and 45–44, respectively. Biden would ultimately win the state of Arizona in the general election by 10,457 votes, making him the first Democrat to win it since Bill Clinton in 1996 and only the second since Harry Truman did so in 1948.
Procedure
Arizona was one of three states holding primaries on March 17, 2020, alongside Florida and Illinois, while only one day before Ohio had been the first state to postpone its primary due to the COVID-19 pandemic and cancel in-person voting, accepting ballots until April 28 instead.
Voters had to have registered as Democrats by February 18 to be eligible for voting in the primary. Arizona mailed ballots to voters on the permanent early voting list. Ballots had to be received by 7:00 p.m. on March 17, 2020. In addition, some Arizona counties offered early voting sites, where any voter could walk in and vote in person, Monday to Friday, from February 19 through March 13, 2020. Voting took place from 6:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m MST. In the closed primary, candidates had to meet a threshold of 15 percent at the congressional district or statewide level in order to be considered viable for delegates. The 67 pledged delegates to the 2020 Democratic National Convention were allocated proportionally on the basis of the results of the primary. Of these, between 3 and 6 were allocated to each of the state's 9 congressional districts and another 9 were allocated to party leaders and elected officials (PLEO delegates), in addition to 14 at-large delegates. As a March primary on Stage I of the primary timetable Arizona received no bonus delegates, in order to disperse the primaries between more different date clusters and keep too many states from hoarding on a March date.
District caucuses were held on April 18, 2020, to designate national convention district delegates. The state convention and state committee meeting were subsequently held on May 16, 2020, to vote on the 14 at-large and 9 pledged PLEO delegates for the Democratic National Convention. The delegation also included 13 unpledged PLEO delegates: 7 members of the Democratic National Committee and 6 members of Congress (one senator and 5 representatives).
Candidates The following candidates appeared on the ballot in Arizona. Candidates that had filed a formal withdrawal with the office remained on the ballot because it had already been printed but their votes were not individually published in the final canvass, making them effectively ineligible.
Running
Joe Biden Roque De La Fuente III Michael Ellinger Tulsi Gabbard Henry Hewes Bernie Sanders
Withdrawn
Pete Buttigieg Julian Castro Deval Patrick Elizabeth Warren Marianne Williamson Andrew Yang
Formal withdrawal (ineligible)
Michael Bennet Michael Bloomberg Cory Booker John Delaney Amy Klobuchar Tom Steyer
Polling Polling aggregationSource of poll aggregation Date updated Dates polled JoeBiden BernieSanders TulsiGabbard Other/Undecided270 to Win270 to Win Mar 17, 2020 Mar 3–16, 2020 50.6% 29.4% 1.0% 19.0%RealClear PoliticsRealClear Politics Mar 17, 2020 Mar 6–15, 2020 51.7% 33.7% 1.0% 13.6%FiveThirtyEightFiveThirtyEight Mar 17, 2020 until Mar 16, 2020 51.6% 26.9% 1.1% 20.4% Average 51.3% 30.0% 1.0% 17.7% Tabulation of individual polls of the 2020 Arizona Democratic primary Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin JoeBiden MichaelBloomberg PeteButtigieg KamalaHarris BernieSanders ElizabethWarren AndrewYang Other UndecidedSwayableSwayable Mar 16, 2020 1,167 (LV) ± 5.0% 53% – – – 29% – – 19% –Marist/NBC NewsMarist/NBC NewsMar 10–15, 2020 523 (LV) ± 6.0% 53% – – – 36% – – 8% 3% 913 (RV) ± 4.5% 50% – – – 37% – – 9% 5%Monmouth UniversityMonmouth University Mar 11–14, 2020 373 (LV) ± 5.1% 51% 5% 3% – 31% 3% – 2% 5%Latino Decisions/Univision/Arizona State UniversityLatino Decisions/Univision/Arizona State UniversityMar 6–11, 2020541 (LV)± 4.2% 57% – – – 38% – – – 5% 51% – – – 34% – – 6% 8% March 4–5, 2020Bloomberg and Warren withdraw from the raceOH Predictive Insights Mar 3–4, 2020 398 (LV) ± 4.9% 45% 12% – – 17% 13% – 4% 9% March 1–2, 2020Buttigieg and Klobuchar withdraw from the race February 11, 2020New Hampshire primary; Yang withdraws from the race after close of polls Dec 3, 2019 Harris withdraws from the raceOH Predictive InsightsOH Predictive Insights Oct 31 – Nov 8, 2019 260 (LV) ± 6.1% 29% – 9% 5% 16% 18% 4% 19% –Emerson PollingEmerson Polling Oct 25–28, 2019 339 ± 5.2% 28% – 12% 4% 21% 21% 5% 7% –Siena Research/New York TimesSiena Research/New York Times Oct 13–26, 2019 209– 24% – 5% 3% 16% 15% 1% 1% 31%Change ResearchChange Research Sep 27–28, 2019 396 (LV) – 15% – 13% 4% 19% 35% 8% 7% –Bendixen&AmandiBendixen&Amandi Sep 9–12, 2019 250 ± 4.3% 29% – 5% 4% 18% 24% 2% 8% 10%Zogby AnalyticsZogby Analytics May 23–29, 2019 197 ± 7.0% 35% – 6% 4% 16% 10% 0% 11% –
Results
2020 Arizona Democratic presidential primary Candidate Votes % Delegates Joe Biden268,029 43.7038 Bernie Sanders 200,456 32.70 29 Elizabeth Warren (withdrawn) 35,537 5.79 rowspan=11 Pete Buttigieg (withdrawn) 24,868 4.05 Tulsi Gabbard 3,014 0.49 Andrew Yang (withdrawn) 1,921 0.31Julian Castro (withdrawn) 754 0.12 Marianne Williamson (withdrawn) 668 0.11 Deval Patrick (withdrawn) 242 0.04 Henry Hewes 208 0.03 Other candidates 812 0.13 Other votes 4,942 0.81 Ineligible candidates Michael BloombergAmy KlobucharTom SteyerJohn DelaneyCory BookerMichael Bennet 71,904 58,79710,3331,381505494394 11.72 9.591.680.230.080.080.06 Total 613,355 100% 67
By county CountyJoe BidenBernie SandersElizabeth Warren(withdrawn†)Pete Buttigieg(withdrawn†)Tulsi GabbardAndrew Yang(withdrawn)Julián Castro(withdrawn)Marianne Williamson(withdrawn)Rocky De La FuenteDeval Patrick(withdrawn)Henry HewesMichael A. EllingerOthersMarginTotal votes castEligible votersVoter turnout#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%Apache3,09244.0%2,52335.9%2523.6%1432.0%480.7%360.5%200.3%250.4%260.4%220.3%130.2%100.1%81811.6%5698.1%7,02828,73424.5%Cochise4,12341.7%2,69427.3%6786.9%4664.7%930.9%340.3%220.2%200.2%260.3%100.1%80.1%40.0%1,71017.3%1,42914.4%9,88820,35648.6%Coconino6,57837.4%7,65043.5%1,2557.1%5273.0%940.5%640.4%160.1%230.1%170.1%130.1%90.1%50.0%1,3547.7%–1,072–6.1%17,60535,90149.0%Gila2,04147.8%92821.7%1924.5%1814.2%370.9%250.6%100.2%240.6%80.2%30.0%110.3%20.1%80718.9%1,11326.1%4,2698,84548.3%Graham77446.2%42025.0%704.2%442.6%171.0%140.8%80.5%50.3%100.6%00.0%20.1%00.0%31318.7%35421.1%1,6775,08233.0%Greenlee31645.0%13819.6%253.6%304.3%142.0%60.9%40.6%10.1%40.6%00.0%30.4%10.1%16122.9%17825.3%7031,75640.0%La Paz32344.8%19326.8%294.0%212.9%60.8%60.8%50.7%30.4%20.3%10.1%10.1%20.3%12917.9%13018.0%7212,28231.6%Maricopa153,70742.9%120,37933.6%20,5845.7%15,3464.3%1,6200.4%1,1090.3%3450.1%3070.1%2970.1%1210.0%990.0%920.0%44,38412.4%33,3289.3%358,390732,37648.9%Mohave4,45047.4%2,14222.8%4324.6%4935.3%640.7%380.4%70.1%180.2%160.2%70.1%70.1%50.4%1,70118.1%2,30824.6%9,38020,87244.9%Navajo3,58544.3%2,61732.8%3163.9%1932.4%540.7%590.7%140.2%250.3%180.2%110.1%140.2%100.1%1,16914.5%96812.0%8,08525,21532.1%Pima60,62245.3%42,95432.1%8,6026.4%4,9073.7%6130.5%3060.2%1490.1%1050.1%880.1%320.0%200.0%330.0%15,37811.5%17,66813.2%133,809237,56856.3%Pinal12,45048.4%6,65825.9%1,1654.5%1,0304.0%1480.6%1060.4%390.2%330.1%450.2%60.0%120.1%30.0%4,03215.7%5,79222.5%25,72760,03442.9%Santa Cruz1,87640.6%1,54733.5%1944.2%1312.8%150.3%180.4%220.5%120.3%250.5%20.0%00.0%60.1%77516.8%3297.1%4,62313,55234.1%Yavapai10,31747.9%5,71726.5%1,3556.3%1,0154.7%1290.6%560.3%50.0%420.2%50.0%30.0%50.0%30.0%2,89113.4%4,60021.4%21,54331,85667.6%Yuma3,77538.1%3,89639.3%3883.9%3413.4%620.6%440.4%880.9%250.3%410.4%110.1%40.0%80.1%1,22412.4%–121–1.2%9,90731,91431.0%Totals268,02943.7%200,45632.7%35,5375.8%24,8684.1%3,0140.5%1,9210.3%7540.1%6680.1%6280.1%2420.0%2080.0%1840.0%76,84612.5%67,57311.0%613,3551,256,34348.8%
By congressional district Congressional districtJoe BidenBernie SandersElizabeth Warren(withdrawn†)Pete Buttigieg(withdrawn†)Tulsi GabbardAndrew Yang(withdrawn)Julián Castro(withdrawn)Marianne Williamson(withdrawn)Rocky De La FuenteDeval Patrick(withdrawn)Henry HewesMichael A. EllingerOthersMarginTotal votes castEligible votersVoter turnout#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%1st32,74945.8%22,33631.2%3,7765.3%2,4723.5%4320.6%3020.4%1070.2%1190.2%1170.2%530.1%550.1%330.1%8,95412.5%10,41314.6%71,505167,90842.6%2nd43,97045.9%28,92730.2%6,7417.0%3,8144.0%4790.5%2400.3%820.1%880.1%720.1%300.0%190.0%180.0%11,23811.7%15,04315.7%95,718160,42859.7%3rd23,74438.7%24,76640.4%2,7244.4%1,5952.6%2920.5%1800.3%2220.4%720.1%1150.2%340.1%170.0%310.1%7,50512.2%−1,022−1.7%61,297158,63538.6%4th22,33847.4%11,92525.3%2,5505.4%2,2984.9%2930.6%1640.4%420.1%1000.2%610.1%200.0%310.1%150.0%7,29115.5%10,41322.1%47,12890,29652.2%5th27,85144.3%19,63631.3%3,7215.9%3,0204.8%3020.5%2100.3%360.1%580.1%350.1%80.0%130.0%130.0%7,92012.6%8,21513.1%62,823121,00651.9%6th34,29547.4%19,87827.5%4,2405.9%3,5704.9%3470.5%1560.2%330.1%570.1%340.1%200.0%150.0%100.0%9,67613.4%14,41719.9%72,331129,89355.7%7th19,78935.6%24,70144.4%2,6764.8%1,5722.8%1820.3%1910.3%1240.2%420.1%770.1%270.1%110.0%230.0%6,20211.2%−4,912−8.8%55,617148,50937.5%8th30,59446.8%17,53726.8%3,4205.2%3,0984.7%3340.5%2060.3%590.1%740.1%590.1%220.0%280.0%210.0%9,98515.3%13,05720.0%65,437123,99652.8%9th32,69940.1%30,75037.7%5,6897.0%3,4294.2%3530.4%2720.3%490.1%580.1%580.1%280.0%190.0%200.0%8,0759.9%1,9492.4%81,499155,67252.4%Totals268,02943.7%200,45632.7%35,5375.8%24,8684.1%3,0140.5%1,9210.3%7540.1%6680.1%6280.1%2420.0%2080.0%1840.0%76,84612.5%67,57311.0%613,3551,256,34348.8%
Analysis