In a surprising turn of events, President Joe Biden experienced his first setback in the Democratic presidential primary at the hands of an unexpected contender: venture capitalist Jason Palmer. CNN projected on Tuesday night that the relatively unknown Baltimore candidate would secure a victory in the American Samoa Democratic nominating contest.
Despite Palmer’s win in the small US territory, where less than 100 people participate in the caucus, Biden’s march towards the Democratic nomination remains largely unimpeded. The president’s performance in the Super Tuesday races across the country was nothing short of dominant.
“Honored to announce my victory in the American Samoa presidential primary. Thank you to the incredible community for your support. This win is a testament to the power of our voices. Together, we can rebuild the American Dream and shape a brighter future for all,” Palmer stated in a post on X.
A campaign official for Palmer revealed to CNN that the candidate had three full-time campaign staffers on the ground in American Samoa. However, Palmer himself did not visit the island, choosing instead to appear virtually at events.
Palmer, a political newcomer, launched his ambitious bid for the White House in November. He is currently a partner at New Markets Venture Partners, a venture capital firm, and has previously worked at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft, and Kaplan, as per his LinkedIn profile.
The 52-year-old acknowledges on his campaign website that his candidacy is a longshot bid “with very little chance of winning,” and asserts that his campaign is more focused on “ideas, solutions and changing the conversation.” He is running in the Democratic primary, he said on the site, “because (1) I’m a Democrat, and (2) we don’t want to play a spoiler role in this election.”
Palmer has emphasized the importance of this election, stating, “This is the most important election of the 21st century, and it is extremely important to keep Trump from returning to office for a second term.”
The Biden campaign seemed unperturbed by projections showing the president losing American Samoa, with one campaign official dismissing it as “silly news.” Campaign officials found themselves explaining to reporters that a very small number of votes is expected in American Samoa, and reminded them that Michael Bloomberg won the Democratic race there in 2020.
When pressed for more details, the Biden campaign official said Palmer had a “platform of being an advocate for American Samoa.” In his candidacy announcement video, Palmer promised to be a champion for young Americans and promoted his plan for a “talent economy powered by mission-driven entrepreneurs and conscious capitalism.”
Last year, Palmer participated in the New Hampshire Institute of Politics’ “Lesser-Known Candidate Forum,” appearing as one of 18 Democratic presidential hopefuls who lack national name recognition.
CNN’s MJ Lee contributed to this report.