(CNN) — President Joe Biden suffered his first defeat in the Democratic presidential primary Tuesday night at the hands of a man few knew before: venture capitalist Jason Palmer.
CNN predicted Tuesday night that a little-known candidate from Baltimore would win American Samoa’s Democratic nomination race. While Palmer won a small US region, where fewer than 100 people caucus, it will not slow Biden’s strong march toward the Democratic nomination after the president dominated the Super Tuesday race across the country.
“It is an honor to announce my victory in the American Samoa Presidential Primary. Thank you to the wonderful community for your support. This victory is proof of the power of our voice. Together, we can rebuild the American dream and shape a better future for all,” Palmer said. Posted on X
A Palmer campaign official told CNN that the candidate had three full-time campaign staffers on the ground but did not visit the island himself, appearing virtually at events.
This screenshot from the video shows Democratic presidential candidate Jason Palmer. (Credit: Jason Palmer/X)
Palmer, who has never held political office, 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 previously worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft and Kaplan, according to his LinkedIn profile.
The 52-year-old admits on his campaign website that his candidacy is a long one “with very little chance of winning” and says his campaign is more focused on “changing ideas, solutions and conversations”. He’s 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 in this election.”
“This is the most important election of the 21st century, and it’s extremely important to prevent Trump from returning to office for another term,” he said of former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination and likely Biden. Rivals in November.
Biden’s campaign ignored projections that the president would lose in American Samoa, with one campaign official calling it “dumb news”.
Campaign officials told reporters Tuesday night that a very low turnout is expected in American Samoa, noting that Michael Bloomberg won the Democratic race there in 2020.
Pressed for more details, a Biden campaign official said Palmer has “a platform to defend American Samoa.”
In a video announcing his candidacy, Palmer promised to be an advocate for young Americans and touted his plan for a “talent economy driven by mission-driven entrepreneurs and conscious capitalism.”
Last year, he participated in the New Hampshire Institute of Politics’ “Lesser Known Candidates Forum,” appearing as one of 18 Democratic presidential hopefuls who lacked national recognition.
— CNN’s MJ Lee contributed to this report.
