The Democratic US presidential hopeful crushed frontrunner Clinton in Alaska, Washington and Hawaii
Washington: In a warning shot to Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders yesterday trounced the Democratic front-runner in the crucial presidential caucuses in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii, making “inroads” into her substantial lead in the race for the party’s nomination for the White House.
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Bernie Sanders at a campaign in Madison. Pics/PTI
Sanders (74), won Washington state by getting more than 72 per cent of the total votes counted. In Alaska, he received more than 80 per cent of the votes. He also won in Hawaii with a big margin over the former secretary of state.
Hillary Clinton
For Clinton (68), who continues to lead in the delegate count and her path to the White House appears to be much easier as compared to Sanders, a defeat in the crucial state of Washington is seen as a major setback.
Home to major iconic US companies like Boeing, Microsoft and Starbucks, Washington state has more than 100 delegates, a large chunk of which has now gone to Sanders. “We knew things were going to improve as we headed west,” Sanders said at a rally in Madison, Wisconsin.
“We are making significant inroads in ... Clinton’s lead... We have a path toward victory,” the Vermont Senator told his supporters. Clintons, including the former president Bill Clinton, and their daughter Chelsea Clinton, spend quite a bit of time in Washington.
In Alaska, which has 16 delegates at stake, the wife of Sanders campaigned for a few days. “We knew things were going to improve as we headed West,” Sanders said.
To become a Democratic party presidential nominee, Clinton or Sanders need at least 2,382 delegates of the total 4,763 delegates including 712 super delegates, who are party office bearers and are not elected as part of the presidential primaries.