Biden and Trump begin to rack up Super Tuesday wins

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have begun racking up early wins as states across the country hold Super Tuesday elections, moving them closer to a historic rematch despite a lack of enthusiasm from many voters. The results could ramp up pressure on Nikki Haley, Trump's last major rival, to leave the race.

Super Tuesday features elections in 16 states and one territory -- from Alaska and California to Vermont and Virginia. Hundreds of delegates are at stake, the biggest haul of the race for either party.

Biden and Trump started off the night by winning Virginia. Biden also won Vermont and Iowa, where Democrats previously held a presidential preference contest but didn't release their results until Tuesday.

While much of the focus is on the presidential race, there are also important down-ballot contests. California voters will choose candidates who will compete to fill the Senate seat long held by Dianne Feinstein. The governor's race will take shape in North Carolina, a state that both parties are fiercely contesting ahead of November. And in Los Angeles, a progressive prosecutor is attempting to fend off an intense reelection challenge in a contest that could serve as a barometer of the politics of crime.

The spotlight, however, remains on the 81-year-old Biden and the 77-year-old Trump, who continue to dominate their parties despite both facing questions about their age and neither commanding broad popularity across the general electorate.

The earliest either can become his party's presumptive nominee is March 12 for Trump and March 19 for Biden. But, in a departure from most previous Super Tuesdays, both nominations are effectively settled, with Biden and Trump both looking ahead