Who is Jason Palmer, the obscure presidential candidate who delivered Biden’s first 2024 loss?
President Biden lost his first contest in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday to an unknown candidate in the U.S. territory of American Samoa.
The Fox News Decision Desk projected that Jason Palmer, a self-described entrepreneur and investor, would win American Samoa’s caucuses, taking four delegates to Biden’s two.
On his campaign website, Palmer describes himself as a 52-year-old resident of Baltimore, Maryland, with leadership and executive experience working for companies like Microsoft and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among others.
According to Palmer, he also has 25 years of small business experience in addition to his executive-level experience.
A Mar. 1 press release from Palmer’s campaign says the businessman will appear on the ballot in 16 states and territories, and touts him as being the youngest Democrat candidate for president.
Palmer reacted to his victory in American Samoa in a post on X, saying, ‘Honored to announce my victory in the American Samoa presidential primary. Thank you to the incredible community for your support. This win is a testament to the power of our voices. Together, we can rebuild the American Dream and shape a brighter future for all.’
Biden’s loss to Palmer comes amid a string of Super Tuesday victories against his opponents, author Marianne Williamson and Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips.
Earlier in the evening, the Fox News Decision Desk called Iowa, Maine, Vermont, Virginia, Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Phillips’ home state of Minnesota for Biden.
During the 2020 race for the Democratic presidential nomination, Biden lost the U.S. territory against his then-competitors, capturing just 8% of the vote compared to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 10%, then-Hawaiian Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s 29%, and New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s 50%.
The contest was the only one won by Bloomberg, despite spending over $500 million throughout his campaign.
As a territory, American Samoa does not get a vote in the general presidential election, and is only permitted to send delegates to the convention during the primary season.
The Biden campaign downplayed the loss by pointing to what it said was the likelihood that less than 500 total votes were cast in the contest.
Fox News’ Peter Doocy contributed to this report.