Hillary Clinton easily defeated her rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, in the Democratic primary here Saturday, the first broad test of whether the strong challenge from Clinton's political left has eroded crucial support among African American voters.
With the victory in South Carolina, Clinton can claim a powerful advantage among black voters who could determine the outcome in a half-dozen Southern states that vote next.
Instead, Sanders - the senator from Vermont who calls himself a democratic socialist and has electrified young voters and white liberals - beat Clinton handily in New Hampshire and came unexpectedly close to beating her in Iowa and Nevada.