Update:
Bernie Sanders has won the Wyoming caucus, making it his seventh win in a row (eight out of the last nine) ahead of the upcoming New York primary. The Vermont senator won with 56 percent of the vote, with rival Hillary Clinton claiming 43.8 percent.
"We appreciate and thank the people of Wyoming so much for their support!" Sanders tweeted following the announcement.
At a press conference conference later in the New York City borough of Queens, Sanders said, "In terms of state victories and other territories, we now have one seventeen and [Clinton] has won twenty. And I think that it is very fair to say that we were way, way behind during the first half of this contest, but we are having—to say the least—a very strong second half. And we are closing very fast and now that Wyoming is behind us, we are here in New York state. I have been pleased to sense a great deal of momentum... No question in my mind, we have the momentum."
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Earlier:
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A possible record turnout was expected in Wyoming on Saturday as voters caucused in the U.S. presidential election, with 14 pledged delegates and four superdelegates available for Democratic rivals Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.
| #WYcaucus Tweets |
The numbers are not likely to determine the race one way or another, but the Sanders campaign is hoping a win in the state will keep up the momentum he built winning a handful of recent primaries—including a critical contest in Wisconsin last Tuesday.
Winning the Cowboy State would give Sanders his eighth win in a row, just in time for the high-profile New York primary and upcoming debate with Clinton.
"If you want to talk about math, the truth is that it is very, very, very unlikely either candidate, either Secretary Clinton or Sen. Sanders, will go into the convention with a majority needed of pledged delegates in order to win," Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said in a CNN interview last week.
Wyoming Democratic Party executive director Aimee Van Cleave said regardless of the outcome, the excitement of the race has re-energized Democrats in the Republican-heavy state. "The only word I can use to describe being a Democrat in Wyoming is electrifying," she said.
Politico has the live election results here. Or follow the action on Twitter with the hashtag #WYCaucus.
