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Washington, March 11 (PTI): Former US vice president Joe Biden inched closer to Democratic Party's presidential nomination on Wednesday after securing big primary wins in four states, including the key battleground Michigan, over his main rival Bernie Sanders.
By late Tuesday night, 77-year-old Biden had 788 pledged delegates in his kitty as he scored wins in the States of Michigan, Mississippi and Missouri as against 633 pledged delegates for 78-year-old Sanders. He also won Idaho.
Sanders secured victory in North Dakota. The result from Washington state is awaited.
Either of the candidates need at least 1991 of the 3,979 pledged delegates to win the presidential nomination of the Democratic party.
Biden had lagged behind his Democratic rivals in early voting states, but rebounded after winning nine of the 14 states on "Super Tuesday" last week, the most important day in the race for the White House.
His wins in Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi and Idaho on Tuesday has cemented his position as front-runner in the Democratic race to take on President Donald Trump in the presidential election in November.
Biden's win in Michigan is crucial as Sanders had clinched the victory in the state defeating Hillary Clinton four years ago.
In his speech in Pennsylvania, Biden said that democracy is at stake in this election and the country cannot afford to have another four years of President Trump who is seeking his second term this November elections.
"Winning means not only having a president who knows how to fight but how to heal," he said.
"I want to thank Bernie Sanders and his supporters for their tireless energy and their passion. We share a common goal. And together, we will defeat Donald Trump," Biden said. Sanders has shown no sign of giving up.
Confident of winning the party's presidential nomination, Biden said, "tonight we are a step closer to restoring decency, dignity and honour to the White House."
"We need presidential leadership that is honest, trusted, truthful and steady, he said.
Biden said that Trump's 'America First' policy has made America alone.
"To all those who have been knocked down, to all those who've been counted out... this is your campaign," he told his supporters.
"Although there's a way to go, it looks like we're going to have a very good night, he added.
Biden has been endorsed by four Democratic presidential aspirants - Indian-origin California Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Amy Klobucher, former Mayor from Indiana Pete Buttigieg, and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Barack Obama's vice-president for eight years has also won Alabama, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
The Democrats' next big election milestone is in a week's time when 577 delegates are up for grabs.
Meanwhile, Brad Parscale, Trump's 2020 campaign manager, in a statement, said the Democrat candidate for president will be running on a big government socialist agenda regardless of the name on the ballot.
"It is also clear that the Democrat establishment has rallied around the confused Joe Biden in an effort to deny the nomination to Bernie Sanders. Either way, President Trump is on an unstoppable drive toward re-election," he said.