In American Samoa's Democrat caucus, Biden ties with Jason Palmer after rounding error

Sorry - our mistake! The Super Tuesday surprise winner in American Samoa turned out to be a rounding error by the local Democratic party rather than a stunning upset over President Joe Biden.

In the early hours of Wednesday, Jason Palmer, 52, an entrepreneur from Maryland, made international headlines after election officials in Pago Pago announced the little-known candidate as the winner of American Samoa's Democratic caucus and the majority of delegates.

"Every American deserves an advocate who will champion their cause & amplify their voices," Palmer said on Tuesday night in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Whether addressing climate change, enhancing healthcare, or improving education, the aspirations of American Samoans resonate with the long-awaited change we all seek."

The American Samoa Democratic Party sent the final results later on Wednesday, correcting the original results they had sent the night before.

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Andrew Berquist, a national committeeperson, told the New York Times in a statement "We've amended our delegate count due to a calculation error. The remaining results are the same."

Of the 91 ballots that were cast, Palmer received 51 and Mr. Biden received 40, according to the local election officials. Each ended up receiving three delegates. Residents of U.S. territories are not eligible to vote in the general election.

Election staff incorrectly rounded up Palmer's 3.4 delegates, or 56 percent share, to four. Biden's 2.6 delegates, or 44 percent share, was rounded down to two. Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, the only other Democrat on the ballot, did not receive any votes or delegates.

Leading up to his surprise Super Tuesday tie, Palmer was the only Democrat to campaign in American Samoa. He held virtual meet-and-greets, had local staff on the island and promised to advocate for the island territory's educational resources and efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

More: American Samoa delivered a primary surprise but can U.S. territories vote for president?

Palmer's win is not the first time a candidate has delivered an unexpected result in American Samoa's Democratic presidential caucuses and primaries. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg won in 2020, and the island territory went for an uncommitted option over Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in 2016.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: American Samoa caucus Super Tuesday snafu: Jason Palmer, Biden tied