Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders surged ahead in Tuesday's Democratic primary in Wisconsin, defeating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with ease.
Although this win doesn’t secure the likelihood that Sanders will take the Democratic nomination, it does increase the momentum needed in the April 19 battle for New York. Sanders scored 56.3 percent of the vote as of 11 p.m. and 45 delegates, along with 10 super-delegates.
In Dane County Sanders racked up 62.7 percent of votes, 25.5 percent more votes than Clinton as of 11 p.m. Sanders held three Madison events in the run-up to Tuesday’s election, including a rally at the Kohl Center where an estimated 4,400 attended.
Sanders’ campaign framed the victory as a major win, based on his support from progressive independents and grassroots fundraising. He has vowed to fight corruption on Wall Street and make public universities free for all students, garnering massive support from young voters.
The 74-year-old delivered a victory speech to a cheering crowd during a rally in Laramie, Wyo., where he is campaigning ahead of that state’s April 9 caucus.
“With our victory tonight in Wisconsin, we have now won seven out of eight of the last caucuses and primaries,” Sanders said. “We have won almost all of them with overwhelming landslide numbers.”
The senator continued to explain the significance of the Wisconsin win and what it means for his hunt for enough delegates to grab the party nomination. Despite the swoop of Wisconsin delegates, Sanders’ hope in winning the national convention is bleak.
“Momentum is starting this campaign 11 months ago and the media determining that we were a fringe candidate,” Sanders said. “Momentum is starting the campaign 60 to 70 points behind Secretary Clinton...and in the last couple of weeks there have been national polls having us one point up or one point down [against Hillary].”
According to Sanders, national and statewide polls have predicted the senator will defeat Trump by “very significant numbers,” in a margin that is wider than Clinton.
Clinton, who was trailing in the most recent Marquette Law School poll before the election, focused her attention on the upcoming caucuses and primaries.
The former secretary tweeted, “Congrats to Senator Sanders on winning Wisconsin. To all the voters and volunteers who poured your hearts into this campaign: Forward!”
Sanders rallied the Wyoming crowd with an oath to never succumb to political action committees and instilled optimism for the race ahead.
“This is a campaign of the people, by the people, for the people,” Sanders declared.
