Bernie Sanders has won the Democratic Wyoming caucuses, reports the New York Times. Sanders was predicted for a Wyoming win and now “with 96 percent of precincts reporting,” Sanders has won the state of Wyoming with “56 percent” of the vote.
Sanders is steadily chipping away at Democratic favorite Hillary Clinton, having recently won big in the west. Bernie has won Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Hawaii, and Wisconsin, and now Wyoming. The win in Wyoming demonstrates “evidence of Mrs. Clinton’s weaknesses among white and liberal voters” which added to her losses in the western states. However as the “major primaries in New York and elsewhere in the Northeast” approach, Hillary is still in the lead at about 200 delegates ahead of Sanders.
Bernie Sanders winning the Wyoming caucuses was pretty much a given seeing as Hillary didn’t even campaign in the state. The former secretary of state is saving her energy for the “delegate-rich” primaries in New York and Pennsylvania, where she is expected to do well. Bernie is taking a brief but controversial trip to the Vatican right before the New York primary, as previously reported in the Inquisitr.
Hillary did send a pinch-hitter to Wyoming, her husband President Bill Clinton. The former president made a few campaign stop-offs to talk about clean energy and the “fine print” in Sanders’ free-tuition policy. However, after speaking about the evils of coal in an area where many miners were recently laid off, he may have done more harm than good.
Speaking at a post-Wisconsin victory rally in Laramie, Sanders’ latest victories have injected vigor back into his campaign, notes the New York Times. Bernie was optimistic and spoke in his typical animated style.
“I believe we have an excellent chance to win New York and a lot of delegates in that state…we have an excellent chance to win in Oregon, and to win in California. I think a lot of these superdelegates are going to be looking around them. And they are going to be saying, ‘Which candidate has the momentum?'”
A Bernie Sanders Campaign Rally In Laramie, Wyoming [Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images]
The jubilation for Bernie Sanders after winning the Wyoming caucuses might be short lived. Eastern states, particularly New York, are thought to heavily favor Hillary. Sanders “has struggled to appeal to minority voters – a large part of the Democratic primary electorate – who have overwhelmingly backed Clinton,” reports the Los Angeles Times. Polls in New York show Clinton has “a double digit lead.” Bernie still remains buoyant, insisting that “we are within striking distance.”
Although Bernie Sanders winning the Wyoming caucuses has boosted his campaign, the struggle against Clinton is still uphill. According to the Independent, the Sanders’ campaign staff “remain frustrated” that they are still trailing so far behind Clinton. Hillary’s lead stretches even further when superdelegates, “party officials from the various states,” are included. Bernie’s campaign manager, Jeff Weaver, said they still hold out hope.
“Senator Sanders won these recent contests by large and impressive margins…as a result, we have cut Secretary Clinton’s delegate lead by 101 since March 15, which amounts to one-third of her then-total margin. That dramatic gain leaves us only 214 delegates behind – a margin we can and fully intend to surpass.”
Bernie Sanders winning the Wyoming caucuses might be the last hurrah for the Vermont senator’s campaign. So far, Clinton has “crushed the senator in states with big African-American and Hispanic communities.” That describes most of the states left in the race to the Democratic nomination.
What do you think of Bernie Sanders’ performance in Wyoming? Will it make a difference in the Hillary hotspots of the eastern states? Do you think there’s a chance Sanders can catch up? Sound off in the comments section below.
[Photo by Brennan Linsley/AP Images]
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