A Democratic megadonor is sticking with Joe Biden despite the former vice president’s recent primary losses but urged that he must perform well in South Carolina.
Alan Patricof, a Biden donor and venture capitalist, said donors to the 36-year Delaware senator and two-term vice president are excited about the candidate but warned that a win in the Feb. 29 South Carolina Democratic primary is “critical.” Biden must also perform well in the Feb. 22 Nevada caucuses, Patricof said.
“Everybody’s sticking with Joe until they see what happens there,” Patricof said. He later added that Biden, 77, will continue needing the support of donors to make it to Super Tuesday, where 14 states and Democrats Abroad are scheduled to hold primaries.
Patricof also said former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s entrance into the race has “confused a lot of people.”
“The kind of people who would be supportive to Mike are the same people who would be supportive to Biden, I believe,” he said before concluding, “In the end, the voters are what counts.”
Bloomberg’s recent success comes from his personal fortune of at least $50 billion. Though he did not participate in the Iowa caucuses or the New Hampshire primary, he has steadily poured money into television ads nationally.
