Massachusetts Democratic Voters Could Save or Sink Warren
Laura Rosbrow-Telem-Commonwealth News Service
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Massachusetts appears to be one of the most competitive Super Tuesday states in the Democratic primary. That isn’t good news for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who may likely lose to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
To understand why, it’s helpful to look at Harvard students, who present a pretty good picture. One might assume this to be Warren territory, as she was a law professor there. But according to James Coleman, a Harvard junior and organizer for Bernie Sanders, the tide has been shifting toward Sanders.
“Most of my friends were Warren supporters last semester, and now they’re basically all Bernie supporters because of her poor showing in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada,” Coleman said. “They don’t see her as viable, and the last thing they want is someone like Biden or Bloomberg catching the nomination.”
Coleman said he’s voting for Sanders because he’s the most progressive candidate in the race and he supports Medicare for all. News website FiveThirtyEight projects Sanders having a more-than 60% chance of winning in the Bay State, and gives Warren about a 30% chance of taking her home state.
However, Warren does have a loyal support base in the Commonwealth. Nicole Berman, age 53, from Adams, is one example.
“I have known for a long time that she would make an excellent president, because she is brilliant, but she’s also humble, and she’s organized. She’s ours,” Berman said. “I know it’s going to be close with Bernie Sanders in this state, which surprises me, frankly.”
Warren was leading the Democratic primary polls in October, but her momentum has largely faded. Currently, Sanders is the leading candidate, with 56 delegates. Warren is in fourth place, with eight. Polls across the Bay State will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with some locations opening as early as 5:45 a.m.