Clinton reached the 2,383 delegates needed to become the presumptive nominee with a decisive victory in Puerto Rico and a burst of last-minute support from party insiders known as superdelegates.
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With the newswire’s report, which was quickly confirmed by CBS News and NBC News, Clinton becomes the first woman to be in line for a major-party nomination in the history of the United States.
The announcement came a day earlier than expected, as Mrs Clinton was in line to secure the nomination in the final six state contests voting today – California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and North and South Dakota. Her campaign manager, Robby Mook, called the projection “an important milestone”, but said Clinton is working hard to earn every vote in Tuesday’s contests.
Bernie Sanders, to receive the 2,383 delegates required to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination, unless a substantial number of so-called super delegates switch their support to the Vermont independent.
Clinton, the former secretary of state, NY senator and first lady, amassed the required number of delegates on Monday with a decisive weekend victory in Puerto Rico and a burst of last-minute support from superdelegates.
In the primary elections and caucuses, Clinton has won 1,812 pledged delegates. She also has the support of 571 superdelegates.
Campaigning in San Francisco, Sanders declined to speculate to reporters about what a poor showing in Tuesday’s primaries might mean to his presidential campaign.
The Sanders campaign has argued that more than 400 super-delegates endorsed Mrs Clinton 10 months before the first caucuses and primaries began on February 1st, and before any other candidate was in the race.
One of Obama’s objectives, an official told CNN, is not “picking any fights” with other Democrats, including Sanders.
Sanders said Monday night that he intends to reassess his presidential bid after California’s primary but has signaled he intends to remain in the race until the Democratic National Convention in July.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes photographs with supporters after a campaign rally at Sacramento City College in Sacramento, California, on Sunday. “Let me just talk to you after the primary here in California where we hope to win”, he said at a press conference on Monday. “If Hillary Clinton were a man, I don’t think she would get 5 percent of the vote”, he said in April. “Tomorrow we have 475 pledged delegates coming up, and my job in the next 24 hours is to do everything that I can to win those delegates”, Sanders said on Monday.
“I know we have never done this before”, Clinton said on Saturday in Fresno.
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“The Clinton campaign, while they’re going to win regardless of the results tonight, she’s clearly going to be the nominee, they do need to bring the party together”, said Fagen, now a partner at public affairs firm DDC.
