JOE BIDEN won the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary Saturday (Biden campaign photo).

Former Vice President Joe Biden posted his first victory of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary season Saturday, winning South Carolina. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders finished second.

According to the Associated Press, with 49 percent of the precincts counted, Biden had 49.9 percent of the vote, followed by 19.4 percent for Sanders, 11.5 percent for Tom Steyer, 7.7 percent for former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg and 6.6 percent for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts).

Biden is expected to get 25 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, with Sanders adding six.  Totaled with previous results from Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, Sanders remains in first in delegates with 51, followed by Biden with 40 and Buttigieg with 26.

“We are very much alive,” Biden declared. “For all of you who have been knocked down, counted out, left behind – this is your campaign.”

As results were still being tallied, Steyer announced he was suspending his campaign and dropping out of the race.

Next up on the primary path is Super Tuesday, with elections in California, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia and other states.