By Michael Adkison
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV)— Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders leads nationally among Democratic candidates ahead of Super Tuesday, according to a recent CNN poll.
Polling analyst FiveThirtyEight predicts Sanders has a 41% chance of winning the Arkansas primary on Tuesday, March 3.
University of Arkansas professor and former Washington Post reporter Ray McCaffrey said he believes the results of Saturday’s primary in South Carolina will greatly determine the frontrunner of Super Tuesday.
“Once the candidates burst through South Carolina,” McCaffrey said, “then we’re off to a roaring start.”
Sanders already has two victories under his belt, as he won the New Hampshire primaries and the Nevada caucuses earlier this month. Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg controversially won the Iowa caucuses, after hours without finalized results.
McCaffrey said a dark horse in the Arkansas Democratic Primary is former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg.
“He is spending… money in so many interesting and unusual ways,” McCaffrey said. “Nobody really knows what the impact will be.
Polling aggregates RealClearPolitics and 270ToWin both predict a narrow Bloomberg victory in Arkansas.
President Donald Trump is expected to win the Arkansas Republican primary due to the lack of party opponents.
Allison Primm, a member of U of A Associated Student Government, stressed the importance of voting regardless of the candidate.
“It’s definitely really important to vote because we have that right as Americans,” Primm said. “Why wouldn’t you want to take advantage of that?”
Early primary voting began February 18. Potential can find voting centers on their county website.