TOM STEYER

President Joe Biden often cites the critical role that South Carolina played when he won the Democratic nomination in 2020.

Billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer started his career leading a massively successful hedge fund. He talks to CNBC's Cat Clifford from the COP26 conference

Billionaire presidential candidate Tom Steyer launching climate investment fund with Kathryn Hall, the founder and co-chair of Hall Capital Partners.

Several business leaders who are working with Biden's White House said the effort is a major divergence from what they saw during the Trump administration.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina, and former President George Bush, take a selfie before the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool)COLUMBIA, S.C. – As they witnessed President Joe Biden take the oath of office on Wednesday, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said former Republican President George W. Bush lauded him as a “savior” for helping get Biden elected. The South Carolina Democrat is largely credited with giving Biden the endorsement he needed to shoot to the top of 2020′s large Democratic field and win his party's nomination. Clyburn, South Carolina’s only Democratic representative in Congress, is the dean of the state’s Democrats and the third-ranking member of the U.S. House. Clyburn said that his backing of Biden also came up Wednesday during conversations with former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, the party's 2016 nominee.

They're trying to figure out how to reach young voters when campuses are empty and students are scattered across the country. The two college students are on opposite ends of the political universe but facing the same challenge: reaching young voters when campuses are empty and students are scattered across the country. With campuses closing, college students are especially transient, causing confusion about whether they should register at their home or school address. The shift to mail voting raises other unexpected hurdles for young voters, including a lack of familiarity with the U.S. Voting by mail also has its challenges, with studies showing young voters are more likely than voters of other age groups to have their mail-in ballots rejected.

MODERATE VOTERSA majority of Democratic voters wanted to put a moderate with practical policy proposals in office over a liberal with bold ideas. ___OLDER VOTERSA solid 61% of primary voters were older than 45 -- a group that firmly supported Biden. Biden finished fourth in the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3 and fifth in the New Hampshire primary about a week later. Before South Carolina, no candidate had earned more than one-third of this group. ___ALL BEFORE CORONAVIRUS AND GEORGE FLOYD'S DEATHThroughout the primaries, Democratic voters said health care was the most important problem facing the nation.

DES MOINES, Iowa Four relatively unknown Iowa Democrats are competing in a primary Tuesday to take on Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, an endeavor viewed as a long shot when better-known prospects last year took a pass on running. But as Democrats are increasingly bullish about their prospects in places such as Arizona and Colorado, the Iowa race is getting renewed attention as a potential battleground that could help the party regain the Senate majority. Greenfield's fundraising prowess reflects a broad array of support among Iowa Democrats. As of a week ago, nearly 500,000 Iowa voters, about one-quarter of the states electorate, had requested absentee ballots, the highest number of absentee ballot requests for any Iowa election, primary or general. The influx of primary-voting Democrats, including those who have been less active in recent cycles, could signal a resurgence of Iowa Democrats.

Billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer, who launched an expensive unsuccessful presidential campaign, will co-chair a task force in California that will focus on getting the economy up and running again. The task force's goal is to help Californian's recover as fast as possible from the economic calamity resulting from the coronavirus. The economic task force will meet twice a month through 2020. California's economy is the fifth largest in the world and Newsom has acknowledged the stunning economic toll of the coronavirus. A record 2.7 million Californians have filed for unemployment benefits in the last month, according to the governor.

Billionaire and former presidential candidate Tom Steyer is shutting down his organization that advocated the impeachment of President Donald Trump. "With the work complete, Need to Impeach is wrapping up, but Tom's commitment to taking on Donald Trump continues." When asked if "wrapping up" means Need to Impeach is shutting down, Gerdes confirmed that was indeed the case. However, Gerdes, the Steyer spokesman, said it is not a new group. Steyer stepped down from his leadership post at Need to Impeach when he decided last year to get into the race.

(Reuters) - Front-runner Bernie Sanders, a reinvigorated Joe Biden, and the other remaining Democratic U.S. presidential candidates fanned out on Monday to many of the 14 states that will hold Super Tuesday nominating contests. Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders rallies with supporters in Los Angeles, California, U.S. March 1, 2020. Senator Sanders, a democratic socialist from Vermont. Biden will hold events in Houston and Dallas, in Texas, on Monday, and Los Angeles in California, on Tuesday, two delegate-rich Super Tuesday states. All are Super Tuesday states.

Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders waves to supporters during a campaign rally in San Jose, California, U.S., March 1, 2020. The Republican choice will almost certainly be President Donald Trump, who has overwhelmingly won the first two contests. Sanders won New Hampshire and Nevada, finished a close second in Iowa to Buttigieg and well behind Joe Biden in South Carolina. In New Hampshire, Trump won 86% of the Republican vote. Trump is focusing his re-election message on the strong economy, while continuing the anti-immigration rhetoric that characterized his first campaign.

It was the first presidential primary win ever for Biden, who is making his third run at the White House. Democrats want a nominee who is a Democrat, Biden told cheering supporters in Columbia, South Carolina, in a jab at Sanders. Bidens dominance in South Carolina raised questions about the continued viability of most of the other contenders. Democratic U.S. presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden addresses supporters at his South Carolina primary night rally in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S., February 29, 2020. Biden was projected to win at least 32 of the 54 pledged delegates in South Carolina and Sanders 11, with more to be allocated.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer, a fierce critic of President Donald Trump who had pushed early for his impeachment, abandoned his bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination on Saturday after trailing in third place in the South Carolina primary, a campaign source told Reuters. Democratic Presidential candidate entrepreneur Tom Steyer reacts as he speaks to supporters as he announced that he is suspending his campaign at his election night party on the day of the South Carolina primary in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S., February 29, 2020. REUTERS/Mark MakelaSteyer, who poured hundreds of millions of dollars of his own money into his quest, dropped out of the race on the day of his strongest showing yet in a 2020 Democratic nominating contest. Honestly, I cant see a path where I can win the presidency, Steyer told supporters in South Carolina. He poured $64.7 million of his own wealth in January into his bid for the Democratic nomination, bringing his total campaign spending to $267 million.

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at his South Carolina primary night rally in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S., February 29, 2020. He had viewed South Carolina, where his popularity among the states big bloc of black voters proved decisive, as his firewall against disaster. For all of those who have been knocked down, counted out, left behind - this is your campaign, Biden told a victory party in Columbia, South Carolina. Exit polls found about six of 10 of South Carolina voters said influential black congressman James Clyburns endorsement of Biden on Wednesday was a factor in their decision. Slideshow (26 Images)Biden was projected to win at least 27 of the 54 pledged delegates in South Carolina and Sanders 7, with more to be allocated.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Seven candidates remained in the U.S. Democratic presidential nominating contest after the first four states voted in the state-by-state selection process. Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders speaks at his South Carolina primary night rally in Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S., February 29, 2020. Sanders finished second in Iowa and South Carolina and first in New Hampshire and Nevada. Biden finished second in Nevada and a decisive first in South Carolina. In New Hampshire, Trump won 86% of the Republican vote.

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at his South Carolina primary night rally in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S., February 29, 2020. REUTERS/Jim UrquhartTelevision networks and Edison Research, which conducted exit polls, projected Biden as the winner as soon as voting closed in the Southern state, while U.S. He had viewed South Carolina, where his popularity among the states big bloc of black voters proved decisive, as his firewall against disaster. Biden was projected to win 15 of the 54 pledged delegates in South Carolina, with more to be allocated. NARROWING PATH FOR RIVALSBiden was not the only candidate for whom South Carolina and Super Tuesday may represent make-or-break moments in what has been a frequently shifting campaign.

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visits a polling site in Greenville, South Carolina, U.S., February 29, 2020. REUTERS/Elizabeth FrantzTelevision networks and Edison Research, which conducted exit polls, projected Biden as the winner as soon as voting closed in the Southern state, while U.S. He had viewed South Carolina, where his popularity among the states big bloc of black voters proved decisive, as his firewall against disaster. Biden was projected to win 15 of the 54 pledged delegates in South Carolina, with more to be allocated. NARROWING PATH FOR RIVALSBiden was not the only candidate for whom South Carolina and Super Tuesday may represent make-or-break moments in what has been a frequently shifting campaign.

Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate billionaire activist Tom Steyer speaks at the Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidates debate in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S., Feb 7, 2020. Billionaire Tom Steyer, an early proponent of impeaching President Donald Trump, has dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary race. He also said he would use his vast resources to support the eventual Democratic presidential nominee and other party candidates in the general election this November. With more than 50% of the vote in, Steyer had scored nearly 12% of the vote in South Carolina. Since then, Democrats impeached Trump, which Steyer had been calling for since the 2016 election, and Bloomberg entered the race.

Billionaire Tom Steyer dropped out of the presidential race after he finished behind Joe Biden in South Carolina on Saturday. He had the most staff in South Carolina, with 102 staffers, and spent 23 days campaigning in the state. CBS New projects that Biden will win the South Carolina primary and exit interviews indicated he had a big lead. He also criticized Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, calling him a "disaster for the people here." "When the Lord closes a door he opens a window," Steyer said Saturday night.

For all those of you whove been knocked down, counted out, left behind, this is your campaign, Biden told supporters in Columbia on Saturday night. After struggling for weeks, Biden had the most on the line in South Carolina. Bidens long-touted firewall in South Carolina had appeared in danger of collapse after he suffered tough defeats in the first three contests Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. Klobuchars hopes were so dim in South Carolina that she barely campaigned here, focusing on Super Tuesday states. Steyer dropped out after focusing all of his efforts in Nevada and South Carolina, where he spent $186 million on ads.

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden talks with supporters at a campaign event at Wofford University February 28, 2020 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Joe Biden chalked up a comfortable win the South Carolina Democratic primary in a needed boost for a flagging 2020 presidential campaign. The former vice president came into South Carolina looking for a clear mandate to revive his push for the White House. A majority of South Carolina primary voters, or 57%, identified as black, exit polls found. About half of the state's primary voters Saturday, or 49%, considered Clyburn's choice important, according to exit polls.

California activist Tom Steyer is ending his presidential bid after a disappointing finish in Saturdays primary in South Carolina, where he invested heavily in both money and time. He was on track to place a distant third in South Carolina. He had gained some recognition among Democratic voters, however, by starring for years in his own television ads as an advocate for impeaching Trump or taking action against climate change. To address climate change, Steyer set a target of 100% clean energy and net-zero emissions by 2045, called for justice-centered policies addressing the vulnerability of communities of color to pollution by fossil fuel companies, and proposed phasing out fossil fuel production. By January, Steyer was rising in the polls in South Carolina among black voters, who make up about 60% of the states Democratic electorate.

Biden campaign aides said after Tuesday night's debate that Biden was referring to being "separated" for a period of time from some others in a U.S. delegation. It’s looking for results," the former vice president said Thursday in South Carolina. There has been bipartisan opposition to drilling in South Carolina, including from one of Trump's top allies in the state, Republican Gov. Speaking Thursday at a small-town community health center in McClellanville, South Carolina, Biden countered with his "public option" government insurance plan to compete in the existing private market. The American Civil Liberties Union says it's dispatching dozens of trained volunteers across South Carolina to monitor voting precincts during Saturday's Democratic presidential primary.

Biden has long seen African American voters, who typically make up around 60% of the Democratic electorate in South Carolina, as potential saviors of his campaign. Biden has the support of 45% of African Americans in the survey, ahead of Steyer, who has 17%. AdvertisementBiden appears to be holding on to his core support among African Americans in South Carolina. Just over half of likely Democratic primary voters say they want a candidate who can unite the country, while 41% say they prefer a candidate who can bring change. It surveyed 713 registered South Carolina voters, of whom 454 are likely to vote in the Democratic primary.

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)NEW YORK, N.Y. – CBS News faced an ill-timed blow to its reputation on Wednesday following a bruising Democratic presidential debate that its moderators struggled to keep from spiraling out of control, although it could take some comfort in the numbers. The Nielsen company reported that 15.3 million people watched Tuesday night's debate in South Carolina on CBS and BET. CBS, which was televising its first debate of this campaign, also had backstage leadership that had not done a presidential debate. “The Democratic debate last night reflected the intensity of the battle for president,” Zirinksky wrote. It was confusing because CBS did not give the entire screen over to the commercial, wrapping around debate graphics and a picture of the venue.

Biden, once the presidential front-runner nationally, was among the Democratic White House contenders campaigning in South Carolina ahead of Saturdays primary. Clyburns endorsement carries weight in a state where black voters make up about 60% of the Democratic electorate. Im here, heart and soul, with everything Ive got to earn the support of the people of South Carolina. Opinion polls have shown Sanders cutting into Bidens lead with black voters, and the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Sanders surpassing Biden. Tuesdays debate was the last chance for his opponents to stop his momentum before the South Carolina primary and next weeks 14 vital Super Tuesday contests.

Jim Watson | AFP | Getty ImagsDemocratic presidential candidates at Tuesday night's debate took aim at the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak. The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. has grown from five on Jan. 30 to 59 as of Wednesday. A majority of those cases came from passengers repatriated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in a Japanese port. The former vice president added that he would work to get more U.S. experts in China amid the outbreak. And this 'great genius' has told us that this coronavirus is going to end in two months," Sanders said.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Surging front-runner Bernie Sanders will be in the hot seat at the Democratic debate in South Carolina on Tuesday, when his six presidential rivals try to derail his growing momentum before the next big round of nominating contests. Joe Biden, the national front-runner not so long ago, needs to win South Carolina to keep his campaign alive, while Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer are desperately battling for relevance. South Carolina and its large bloc of black voters will be a test of whether he can improve on what polls show is his lack of appeal to African Americans. He is counting on a win in South Carolina, given his popularity among black voters, who make up more than half of the Democratic electorate in the Southern state. He could make a difference in South Carolina, where polls show he has his greatest strength.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Surging front-runner Bernie Sanders will be in the hot seat at the Democratic debate in South Carolina on Tuesday, when his six presidential rivals try to derail his growing momentum before the next big round of nominating contests. Joe Biden, the national front-runner not so long ago, needs to win South Carolina to keep his campaign alive, while Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer are desperately battling for relevance. South Carolina and its large bloc of black voters will be a test of whether he can improve on what polls show is his lack of appeal to African Americans. He is counting on a win in South Carolina, given his popularity among black voters, who make up more than half of the Democratic electorate in the Southern state. REUTERS/David Becker/File PhotoHe could make a difference in South Carolina, where polls show he has his greatest strength.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Surging front-runner Bernie Sanders will be in the hot seat at the Democratic debate in South Carolina on Tuesday, when his six presidential rivals try to derail his growing momentum before the next big round of nominating contests. Joe Biden, the national front-runner not so long ago, needs to win South Carolina to keep his campaign alive, while Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer are desperately battling for relevance. South Carolina and its large bloc of black voters will be a test of whether he can improve on what polls show is his lack of appeal to African Americans. He is counting on a win in South Carolina, given his popularity among black voters, who make up more than half of the Democratic electorate in the Southern state. He could make a difference in South Carolina, where polls show he has his greatest strength.

Steyer on his debate performance Tom Steyer joins CBS News to break down his performance in the 10th 2020 Democratic presidential debate. Steyer remained focused on race in his post debate comments from Charleston, South Carolina.

South Carolina has a history of rapscallion politicians and rowdy debates, and Tuesday nights two-hour throw down in Charleston was no exception. 1 / 9 Democratic presidential candidates onstage in Charleston, S.C. From left: Michael R. Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Amy Klobuchar and businessman Tom Steyer. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) 2 / 9 Michael R. Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren before the debate. I will win South Carolina, he declared. Thats not to say one size fits every South Carolina Democrat.

Joe Biden had a disappointing showing in the first three contests of the Democratic primaries, but the former vice president expressed confidence Tuesday night after the South Carolina debate that he will win the state's primary. "I'm going to win South Carolina," Biden said. At one point in the fall, Biden had a 28-point lead in South Carolina, but it has shrunk to a slim single-digit lead, according to the CBS News Battleground Tracker on February 23. South Carolina has a large black population, and Biden repeated that he had "earned" the African American vote. It's not possible to win," Biden said.

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Latest on the 2020 Democratic primary contest (all times local):11:45 p.m.Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg has cancelled four events in south Florida set for Wednesday because of illness. Buttigieg stills plans to attend an event Wednesday in Charleston, South Carolina, with the Rev. Biden said during Tuesday night's presidential debate in Charleston, South Carolina, that he is "looking forward" to making that a reality. Biden is relying on a base of support from black voters, who comprise the majority of voters in Saturday's South Carolina primary. ___8:15 p.m.Elizabeth Warren is going straight at fellow progressive Bernie Sanders as the latest Democratic presidential debate begins.

Biden gets 27% of support among likely Democratic voters in Saturday's presidential primary, while the Vermont senator garners 23%. Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are locked in a tight South Carolina Democratic primary race as the former vice president tries to inject life into a struggling campaign, according to an NBC News/Marist poll released Monday. Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg is not on the ballot in South Carolina. Among black likely Democratic primary voters who responded to the NBC/Marist poll, Biden gets 35% of support. Among likely Democratic primary voters, 18% of those who picked Steyer said they might choose someone else, while 17% of Biden supporters said the same.

Now they have an additional worry that he may soon be unstoppable in his quest to win the nomination. If the final results push Buttigieg below 15%, he may fail to win delegates, the key to securing the nomination. Together we will defeat the most dangerous president in the modern history of this country, Sanders told a cheering throng of supporters in Houston. Bernie Sanders addresses his first campaign rally after the Nevada Caucus in El Paso, Texas. Slideshow (15 Images)Klobuchar was scheduled to be in Super Tuesday states Arkansas and Oklahoma, after visiting North Dakota, which holds a Democratic caucus on March 10.

Former Vice President Joe Biden appeared headed to a badly needed second-place finish, but trailed by a wide margin, with 19%. Together we will defeat the most dangerous president in the modern history of this country, Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, told a cheering throng of supporters in Houston. Bernie Sanders addresses his first campaign rally after the Nevada Caucus in El Paso, Texas. REUTERS/Mike SegarIn an interview on CBSs Face the Nation, Biden said he was confident he could win in South Carolina with support from African-Americans. In Nevada, Senator Elizabeth Warren, who had been looking to jump-start her campaign after poor finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire, trailed in a disappointing fourth place with 10% in Nevada.

The victory, while encouraging for Sanders supporters, only deepens concern among establishment-minded Democratic leaders who fear that the self-described democratic socialist is too extreme to defeat Trump. In a show of confidence, Sanders left Nevada early to rally supporters in Texas, which offers one of the biggest delegate troves in just 10 days on Super Tuesday. The developer the Nevada Democrats had planned to use had its mobile app fail spectacularly in Iowa. Nearly three weeks later, Iowa Democratic officials have yet to post final results. In addition, it appeared Nevada Democrats were able to successfully navigate a complicated process for adding early voting to the caucus process.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) walks with members of Culinary Workers Union Local 226 on a picket line outside of Palms Casino Resort on February 19, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mario Tama | Getty ImagesAs two billionaires pile staggering amounts of cash into their 2020 Democratic presidential campaigns, several of their rivals are burning through money much more quickly than they are raising it. Former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., followed with $8.9 million, $6.2 million and $5.5 million, respectively. The Buttigieg and Warren campaigns both spent at least twice what they raised a cause for concern as the race moves toward March 3. Klobuchar and Warren apparently needed the cash injections: their campaigns had only $2.9 million and $2.3 million, respectively, in the bank at the end of January.

FILE PHOTO: Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate Tom Steyer addresses the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Nevada Presidential Town Hall in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., February 13, 2020. REUTERS/Eric ThayerWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Businessman Tom Steyer poured $64.7 million of his own wealth in January into his bid to win the Democratic presidential nomination, for a total spend of $267 million, a campaign finance disclosure showed on Thursday. Steyers spending is of historic proportion, but is dwarfed by that of rival candidate billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who pumped $220.6 million of his own funds into his bid the same month, for a total of $409 million since launching his campaign in November.

South Carolina Gov. Steyer’s campaign told The Associated Press on Wednesday that state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter has signed on as a senior national adviser. Steyer has been vocal about his outreach to South Carolina’s black voters, who account for the majority of the Democratic electorate. Before that commemoration, he had spent several days campaigning in the state, notably speaking at an NAACP rally at South Carolina State University. A month later, he was at South Carolina State University to take part in an environmental forum coordinated by Cobb-Hunter.

“I've always been in support of my husband, because of that I came to Columbia to show my full support,” Taylor said in a statement. Black voters make up two-thirds of the Democratic electorate in South Carolina. Steyer had South Carolina to himself Sunday and Monday as the rest of the Democratic field campaigned in New Hampshire ahead of that state's Tuesday’s primary. Steyer has flooded South Carolina airwaves with millions of dollars in ads, building a robust staff and making numerous visits, holding more campaign events than any other candidate still in the race. ___Meg Kinnard can be reached at https://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP___Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, “Ground Game.”

Coronavirus cases continue to rise in ChinaMedical staff check a patient's condition at a temporary hospital converted from "Wuhan Livingroom" in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 10, 2020. Ivan Alvarado | ReutersAmazon is seeking to question President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and former Defense Secretary James Mattis over a $10 billion Pentagon cloud contract awarded to Microsoft. AWS sent CNBC a statement, which reads in part, "President Trump has repeatedly demonstrated his willingness to use his position as President and Commander in Chief to interfere with government functions." Chip Somodevilla | Getty ImagesA federal judge on Tuesday ruled in favor of the $26 billion Sprint and T-Mobile deal. Shares of T-Mobile were up over 7% in trading ahead of Wall Street's open on Tuesday.

They said Biden, who is running for president and is a top contender in the upcoming South Carolina primary, should distance himself from Harpootlian following the comments. “His refusal to do so will not go over well in the black community, and it certainly will not go over well with members of the Black Caucus that are standing behind me.”Harpootlian denies that his comments were racially motivated. In a statement provided to The Associated Press, he went on to call Harpootlian's comments “Trump-like dirty campaign tactics that the Biden campaign should not tolerate." Steyer has since been endorsed by other South Carolina lawmakers, including state Sen. John Scott, another member of the Black Caucus. Govan previously supported Biden, serving as an adviser and co-chairman of his 2008 presidential campaign in South Carolina.

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Democratic presidential contender Tom Steyer on Monday said he expected to leave Iowas first-in-the-nation caucuses with momentum that carries him later this month to Nevada and South Carolina, where he has shown more strength in opinion polls. U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer's billboard is pictured in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., February 2, 2020. Ive been a grassroots organizer full-time in the United States for the last seven or eight years, Steyer said. Iowa polls have put Steyers support in the single digits despite a lengthy bus tour and an aggressive advertising campaign. Steyer, who spent more than $200 million of his personal fortune on his campaign last year, has said he would make climate change his No.

(Reuters) - The co-chair of South Carolinas caucus for African-American women endorsed billionaire U.S. presidential candidate Tom Steyer on Sunday, helpful backing in the first state to vote in which most Democrats are black. FILE PHOTO: Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Tom Steyer attends the Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day Parade in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. January 20, 2020. REUTERS/Randall HillThis is a crucial election and black women need a candidate whos going to champion our policies from housing to reproductive rights and entrepreneurship, Mattie Thomas, co-chair of the Black Womens Caucus of South Carolina, told Reuters. South Carolina, where two-thirds of the Democratic electorate is black, comes fourth, on Feb. 29, in the state-by-state process of picking a Democratic nominee to face Republican President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 election. Steyer has hired more staff, appeared at more events and spent more money on advertisements in South Carolina than Biden.

Senator Bernie Sanders, who ranked third in campaign spending, spent $90.7 million over the 10 months in 2019 he was running for president. Steyer also spent mainly on advertising, pumping $117 million into TV ads and $44 million in online ads. His spending on advertising was a close second, $13.5 million on television and about $9.7 million in online ads. Former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Buttigiegs biggest expense for 2019 was online advertising, spending about $11.6 million on the ads. He spent $7.2 million on online advertising, and trailed is rivals in television spending, spending on $2.3 million on ads.

Warren and Yang have each spent more than $6 million on TV ads. Klobuchar's campaign has dropped nearly $4 million on Iowa ads. Some candidates have not held back with their criticism of Democratic opponents on the trail in recent days, but there's one commonality all of the candidates' recent Iowa TV ads have had: They are not attacking each other. Several outside groups have paid for ads criticizing specific candidates, but Democratic presidential candidates' TV ads themselves have all zeroed in on the same foe: President Trump. Mr. Trump's campaign, meanwhile, hasn't really focused on TV ads in Iowa, although he did hold a rally in Des Moines on Thursday.

(Reuters) - Perhaps no issue has divided the field of Democratic 2020 presidential hopefuls more than Medicare for All.Eight 2020 Democratic presidential candidates are seen in a combination image from file photos (L-R top row): Billionaire Tom Steyer, U.S. REUTERS/FilesLiberal candidates favor the sweeping proposal, which would replace private health insurance with a single government-run plan. Moderate candidates have embraced less drastic measures they say would achieve broader healthcare coverage while allowing individuals to choose their plan. It would create a public option - similar, albeit more ambitious in scope, to that proposed by more moderate candidates like Biden. It would preserve private insurance for three years before fully implementing Medicare for All.

(Reuters) - Republican Donald Trump is touting tax cuts and economic gains during his presidency as a reason why he should get re-elected in November. Were an economic powerhouse like actually weve never been, he told reporters in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan 22. Warren backs a wealth tax of 2% of peoples net worth above $50 million and 3% for wealth over $1 billion. He says his relatively moderate economic proposals stand a better chance of getting through the polarized U.S. Congress. She also has pledged to direct her attorney general to review mergers that have already taken place to prevent monopolies from forming and to repeal part of the Trump tax cuts.

“Racial bias permeates the system, really from policing to after they’ve been incarcerated,” Steyer told The Associated Press before the planned release of his proposal Thursday. Many black voters, who make up the majority of the Democratic electorate in the state, name criminal justice reform as among their top priorities. In part, Steyer proposes a top-down change in federal law enforcement, creating what his plan calls “a progressive Department of Justice,” including revamping federal grant programs to fund state and local initiatives. Part of Steyer’s education effort focuses on reforming the juvenile justice system. As for how to pay for the plan, Steyer notes the expense of incarceration, purportedly a cost that would be reduced by cutting inmate population rates.

Tom Steyer speaks during the Democratic presidential primary debate at Drake University on January 14, 2020 in Des Moines, Iowa. Six candidates out of the field qualified for the first Democratic presidential primary debate of 2020, hosted by CNN and the Des Moines Register. Billionaire Tom Steyer is calling for a 10% tax cut for families and he plans to pay for it by raising levies on investment portfolios. Steyer is also calling for enhancements to a pair of tax credits for working families: the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit. He has also proposed raising the top marginal income tax rate to 39.6%, from 37%.

FILE PHOTO: Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidates (L-R) Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) speaks with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) as billionaire activist Tom Steyer listens after the seventh Democratic 2020 presidential debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., January 14, 2020. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File PhotoNEW YORK (Reuters) - Liberal grassroots groups on Thursday launched a bid to calm tensions between supporters of the two progressive standard-bearers in the Democratic presidential race, U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who have engaged in a days-long feud after months of non-aggression. Warren has said Sanders told her he did not believe a woman could be elected president, a comment that Sanders has denied making. In other words, if their top choice falters, they would vote for the other liberal despite the current feud.

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - The mystery of what presidential rivals Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders said to each other in a heated exchange after Tuesday nights Democratic debate has been solved, with debate host CNN revealing that Warren accused Sanders of calling her a liar on national television. Sanders disputed that claim before and during the debate but Warren insists its true. After failing to shake Sanders hands, Warren said: I think you called me a liar on national TV.What? Sanders replied. I think you called me a liar on national TV, Warren repeated. If you want to have that discussion, well have that discussion. Warren said: Anytime.Sanders said: You called me a liar.

Mario Tama | Getty ImagesDiscussion on Social Security reform has been largely absent from the Democratic debates. In 2019, about 64 million Americans received more than $1 trillion in Social Security benefits. Most of the Democratic candidates have plans to solve those long-range financing difficulties, said Melissa Favreault, senior fellow at the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan research organization. Steve Marcus | ReutersJoe BidenThe former vice president and senator has been on the receiving end of criticism for his views on Social Security reform. In an emailed statement, Steyer called Social Security "a promise that America has made to our seniors."

The Democratic presidential field is set to have its smallest and potentially most influential debate yet. Politics Live updates from the Iowa Democratic debate Politics Live updates from the Iowa Democratic debate Less than three weeks before Iowa begins the presidential balloting, six Democrats took to the stage for the first debate of the new year and the last before voters begin having their say.The debate on the campus of Drake University featured four of the six candidates leading the presidential pack: former Vice President Joe Biden; former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg; and Sens. Catch up on who said what in Des Moines:Gone are the two-night, 10-candidates-at-a-time spectacles that marked the earliest debate rounds of the Democratic contest last year. Booker and others have criticized the Democratic National Committees debate qualification rules and spoken out about the lack of diversity onstage. But unlike some of the other Democratic candidates, Biden could probably withstand a modest finish in the Hawkeye State.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 99% of U.S. President Donald Trumps television ads have focused on impeachment this year, according to an analysis that shows how central the topic has become for his re-election campaign. All of the ads mentioning impeachment have come since Oct. 1. Before Trumps anti-impeachment blitz began in October, the president had only aired 36 television ads in 2019, with none mentioning impeachment, the Wesleyan Media Group said. In addition to Trumps ads, Republican groups are funding ads attacking Democratic members of the House over their support for the impeachment investigation. Almost all Democratic ads mentioning impeachment have come from billionaire businessman Tom Steyer, a presidential candidate who has made impeachment a core issue of his campaign, but whose candidacy has garnered little support in public opinion polls.

The Democratic Party has struggled with how to handle a historically large field of candidates. For Thursdays debate, candidates must show that they have received donations from at least 200,000 unique donors, as well as meeting polling benchmarks. Castro bemoaned the ability of billionaires who are self-funding their campaign to make the debate stage. Our campaign has been speaking up for people who are often left behind, Castro said after his walk down some of the roughest blocks in Los Angeles. What we are seeing in this election cycle is that, too often in politics, money still talks, that people can basically buy their way on to the debate stage.

Democratic presidential candidates used an opportunity Thursday night to take a question about President Donald Trump's impeachment as a chance to make the case for their presidency run. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said that to defeat Trump, America needed a candidate who "can draw the sharpest distinction between the corruption of the Trump admin and a Democrat who is willing to get out and fight." Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar took a different approach, focusing instead on their more moderate positions. Billionaire Tom Steyer shifted the conversation to the upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate, saying the witnesses the White House has prohibited from testifying should be called up. "The American people deserve to see the truth of these administrative people under oath so we can make up our mind."

The final debate of 2019 will air Thursday night, live from Los Angeles, with the smallest number of participants to date: just seven candidates who met the polling and fundraising requirements set by the Democratic National Committee. Earlier meetings crammed as many as 12 candidates on stage, or took place over two nights to accommodate a lineup of 20 contestants. Buttigieg proved himself more than a political flavor of the month by delivering a series of strong and substantive performances. The debates have not in any way upended the top tier, which remains a wildly consistent race between four people. In addition, we have made diversity a priority by requiring that every debate have women and people of color as moderators.

Justin Sullivan | Getty ImagesMayor Pete Buttigieg finally got the top-tier treatment during the sixth Democratic presidential debate hosted in Los Angeles on Thursday, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar found the spotlight. Sanders and Klobuchar part ways on coming USMCA voteDemocratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) reacts to Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) during the Democratic presidential primary debate at Loyola Marymount University on December 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Warren on critics who say her proposed tax hikes would stifle growth: 'They're just wrong'Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) speaks during the Democratic presidential primary debate at Loyola Marymount University on December 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Warren and Buttigieg spar over 'billionaires in wine caves'Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) speaks as South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg listens during the Democratic presidential primary debate at Loyola Marymount University on December 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Klobuchar bombards ButtigiegDemocratic presidential hopeful Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar speaks during the sixth Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by PBS NewsHour & Politico at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California on December 19, 2019.

Bloomberg, who has long considered a White House bid, sits atop a sprawling business empire and is worth more than $50 billion, easily making him the wealthiest candidate in the contest. But his attorneys say he is not yet prepared to disclose his investments and income. The FEC on Monday granted his request, giving him until Feb. 4 to file — one day after the Iowa caucuses. Bloomberg has said he is not competing in the first few presidential contests in states including Iowa and New Hampshire. ___Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, “Ground Game.”___This story has been corrected to delete an erroneous reference to White House contender Tom Steyer not releasing his finances.

The seven contenders who qualified said they will not cross a picket line at Loyola Marymount University, where the Democratic National Committee will hold Thursday's debate. "I will not cross the union's picket line even if it means missing the debate." The other six candidates in the debate followed in saying they would not cross the picket line at Loyola Marymount. UNITE HERE 11, which represents about 32,000 hospitality workers in southern California and Arizona, said workers started picketing at Loyola Marymount last month. The DNC and Loyola Marymount did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The efforts, Steyer said Tuesday, are part of what his administration would see as a holistic approach to addressing America's racial divides. "This is the bridge to opportunity for these young people," Steyer said, noting he sought advice from leaders at HBCUs including Clark Atlanta and South Carolina State University. Steyer has been working to make inroads in South Carolina, home to the first primary with a significantly black electorate. On Monday, Steyer held a roundtable with black men, similar to a recent event put on by Cory Booker. Decreased HBCU federal funding, Steyer said, has left graduates disproportionately saddled with staggering student loans as schools increase tuition to account for the shortfall.

Steyer's Democratic presidential campaign announced the resignation of Pat Murphy, a former House speaker who served as a top adviser on Steyer's Iowa campaign. "After the conclusion of an investigation alleging improper communications with elected officials in Iowa, Pat Murphy has offered his resignation from the campaign effective immediately," Steyer's campaign manager Heather Hargreaves wrote in a statement. There's no evidence that any Iowans accepted the offer or received contributions from Steyer's campaign as compensation for their backing. Courtney described a similar interaction with Steyer's campaign. I'm working for Tom Steyer," Courtney recalled hearing from the aide.

(CNN) - A top Tom Steyer aide apologized Thursday after a report said he allegedly offered money in exchange for endorsements of his boss from Iowa politicians. "As a former legislator, I know how tricky the endorsement process can be for folks in Iowa," Murphy said in the statement. Steyer's campaign said the billionaire Democratic candidate did not make any individual contributions to political candidates in Iowa this year and will not be making any. There is no evidence that any Iowans accepted the alleged offers or received contributions from Steyer's campaign in exchange for their support. Courtney declined to name Murphy as the Steyer aide who made the offer, The Associated Press reports.

(CNN) - A staffer on Tom Steyer's presidential campaign in South Carolina resigned late Monday after accessing volunteer data from Kamala Harris' presidential campaign. Sims previously worked for the South Carolina Democratic Party as a voter file manager with access to campaigns' proprietary data. "The Steyer campaign takes this issue very seriously. "We apologize to the South Carolina Democratic Party and the DNC. Tom Steyer and the Steyer campaign extend our deepest apology to Senator Kamala Harris and her campaign."

CNN(CNN) - Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Tom Steyer will take questions from voters in Iowa next week at separate CNN town halls held on back-to-back nights. The town halls will occur less than 100 days before the Iowa caucuses, traditionally the first test for candidates seeking the presidential nominations. So far, CNN has held 22 separate, hour-long town halls with Democratic presidential candidates this year. In addition, CNN has held individual candidate town halls on specific issues such as climate change, LGBTQ matters and young voters. At the conclusion of the Biden town hall on Monday, CNN will have held 48 town halls in 2019 featuring the Democratic contenders for president.

Billionaire Tom Steyer plowed eye-popping sums into his presidential campaign. Two other Democratic presidential candidates -- Warren and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg -- have each stockpiled more than $20 million. That helped her post one of the biggest fundraising hauls in the crowded field of Democrats vying to face President Donald Trump next year. Among the 12 Democratic candidates who faced off on Tuesday night's debate stage, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro faces the biggest financial peril. Way, way back in the fundraising pack: Wayne Messam, the Miramar, Florida, mayor who has never gained traction in the Democratic presidential nomination.

CNN(CNN) - The stakes are high for candidates participating in Tuesday's CNN/New York Times Democratic debate, as the presidential hopefuls look to remain competitive in the crowded primary field. It will be businessman Tom Steyer's first presidential debate, and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii will return to the stage after failing to qualify for the September debate. It will air exclusively on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Espaol, and will stream on CNN.com's homepage and NYTimes.com's homepage. The debate will also stream live on the following Facebook Pages: CNN, CNN International, CNN Politics, CNN Replay, AC360 and Erin Burnett OutFront. CNN anchors Erin Burnett and Anderson Cooper and New York Times national editor Marc Lacey will serve as the debate moderators.

Steyer had always planned to self-fund his campaign, but the extent to which his personal wealth is propelling his campaign became clear with the fundraising announcement. Steyer has spent more than $30 million across television, Facebook and Google in just three months of his presidential campaign, according to the latest available data, a staggering figure that dwarfs any other Democratic campaign. But aides have told CNN that the candidate is prepared to spend upwards of $100 million on his campaign. Steyer's fundraising has been almost entirely online, according to the campaign, propelled by digital ads featuring the candidate and a large email list. Steyer's campaign received donations from 166,119 unique donors, for an average donation of $12.

The Thursday prime-time event in Los Angeles, airing live on the eve of National Coming Out Day, will feature the largest-ever audience for a Democratic presidential town hall devoted to LGBTQ issues. What time is the town hall? The town hall will air from 7:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. Invitations to participate in the town hall were extended to Democratic presidential hopefuls who met the DNC's qualifications for the October 2019 primary debate. How can I watch the town hall?

(CNN) - The Democratic National Committee announced Tuesday that the fifth Democratic presidential primary debate will be held on November 20 in Georgia. Last month, the DNC raised the polling and donor thresholds required to qualify for the November debate. Candidates also have a new option of reaching at least 5% in two polls of the early-voting states. The deadline for qualifying polls and donations for the November debate will be November 13 at 11:59 p.m., according to the DNC. The DNC's announcement comes one week before the fourth Democratic presidential primary debate, hosted by CNN and The New York Times, is set to take place in Ohio.

Democratic presidential candidate former tech executive Andrew Yang speaks during the Democratic Presidential Debate at Texas Southern University's Health and PE Center on Sept. 12, 2019, in Houston. (CNN) - Businessman Andrew Yang qualified for the Democratic debate in November by receiving 3% in a new Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday. Polling requirements are slightly more strenuous for the November debate, with multiple paths to qualification. Candidates have until late October to reach polling and grassroots fundraising thresholds set by the DNC. Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julin Castro, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke have all hit the required donor mark, but haven't received sufficient polling support.

Copyright 2019 CNN(CNN) - The CNN/New York Times Democratic presidential debate in October will occur on one night, the Democratic National Committee told campaigns Friday. The party's most recent debate in September featured 10 candidates debating on a single night. "Our goal has always been to expand viewership, and we also believe that one night worked well for this last debate," said the official, speaking on background. This is the second DNC-sanctioned debate CNN will broadcast in 2019. The debate will air exclusively on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Espaol, and stream on CNN.com's homepage and NYTimes.com's homepage.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images(CNN) - The Democratic National Committee announced Friday that CNN and The New York Times will co-host the party's fourth presidential debate next month in Westerville, Ohio. CNN anchors Anderson Cooper and Erin Burnett, as well as New York Times National Editor Marc Lacey will serve as the debate moderators. This is the second DNC-sanctioned debate CNN will broadcast in 2019. It has also hosted 37 presidential town halls this year, and is partnering with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation to air a live, multi-candidate Democratic presidential town hall on October 10 in Los Angeles. The debate will air exclusively on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Espaol, and stream on CNN.com's homepage and The New York Times' homepage.

Getty Images(CNN) - A new national poll finds former Vice President Joe Biden holding a comfortable lead over the rest of the Democratic field, but a separate survey of early voting states shows a closer contest between Biden and his two top progressive challengers. Biden continues to lead in the race with 27% among Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Sunday. In that poll, also released Sunday, Biden is neck and neck with either Warren and Sanders in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. Harris trails behind with 8% along with Buttigieg (6%) and former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke (4%). The results have a margin of sampling error of 5.5 points, including a sample of 437 Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents.

(CNN) - Billionaire Tom Steyer's campaign said Sunday he has qualified for the October Democratic presidential primary debate, giving his campaign a much-needed opportunity for publicity as he looks to break out of the bottom of the Democratic field. The longtime Democratic donor, now the 11th candidate to qualify for the DNC debate, made the cut on Sunday after a CBS News/YouGov poll found him polling at 2% in the early voting state of Nevada, his campaign announced. Steyer announced his presidential campaign in July despite originally ruling out a political bid in January. Steyer's late entry to the race and low initial polling saw him excluded from the September debate stage, despite spending more than $15 million on television and digital advertising in the first two months of his campaign. A CNN poll conducted by SSRS last month found Steyer polling at 1%.

In the last week, Steyer spent nearly $400,000 on Facebook ads to lead all candidates in advertising spending on the platform. A recent Facebook ad from Gillibrand deployed her young son Henry to ask for donations as small as $1. He's spent more than $571,000 on Facebook ads during the course of the campaign, the company's data shows. In one ad, Bullock's campaign writes: "First: The DNC BLOCKED Governor Steve Bullock from the first debate. In all, Democratic candidates have spent more than $38 million on Facebook and Google advertising so far during the 2020 campaign.

(CNN) - The third round of Democratic primary debates, hosted by ABC and Univision, will take place the second week of September. Presidential candidates have until late August to reach polling and grassroots fundraising thresholds set by the Democratic National Committee. Candidates must receive contributions from at least 130,000 individuals, coming from at least 400 unique donors in 20 or more states. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, billionaire Tom Steyer and author Marianne Williamson have reached the fundraising threshold, but still need to hit their polling minimum to qualify. Steyer has received three of his four necessary polls, Gabbard has two and Williamson has one.