Black voters will be the deciding factor in the 2020 Democratic primary, according to an analysis done by the Associated Press. The analysis compared former Vice President Joe Biden's advantage with Black voters to that held by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2008 before then-Senator Barack Obama shocked her in the Iowa caucus that year, proving his viability.

Biden currently leads his closest competitor, Sen. Bernie Sanders, by 21% among Black voters, according to the latest Morning Consult poll as reported by Politico. Biden has projected his electability as a major plus to his campaign, leading to concerns that if he were to be upset in one of the first two primary contests in largely white states, it could create cracks in his overall support.

"As black voters and movers and drivers of national politics, our self-image and awareness of our power and influence is evolving," Aimee Allison, founder of the She the People network, said to the Associated Press.

In a recent conversation with a collection of Black reporters, the former vice president hoped to link his support in the Black community beyond just pragmatism but to his character.

"After all this time, they think they have a sense of what my character is and who I am, warts and all," Biden said. "I'll be surprised if you find any African Americans that think I'm not in on the deal, that I'm not who I say I am … I've never, ever, ever in my entire life been in circumstances where I've ever felt uncomfortable being in the black community."

A drop-off in both turnout and support in 2016 with the Black community has been viewed as one of the reasons why Donald Trump was able to win the election. According to the Associated Press, the analysis compared the previous win by Obama, when 67% of Black voters showed up at the polls, to Hillary Clinton's run against Trump, which showed a drop to just 60%.

"Black folks are looking to figure out who white voters are going to align with, but I don't think that's the driver that it has been in the past," said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, to the AP. "Black voters, like white voters, are increasingly frustrated with the process. No longer is it good enough to choose between the devil or the witch."

The first contest is not until February 3 at the Iowa caucus, but the first contest with a sizable contingent of Black voters is the South Carolina primary on February 29.