Update: By late Monday, multiple national media outlets, and the Washington Post, had made their own calculations and arrived at the same conclusion as the Associated Press.
The Associated Press it had calculated that Hillary Clinton had clinched the 2,383 delegates she needed to win the Democratic presidential nomination. That would make her the first woman — and the first spouse of a former president — to win the nomination of a major party to the White House.
But neither the Clinton nor the Sanders campaign were ready to declare game over, one day before primaries in six states, including California and New Jersey.
In a statement, the Sanders campaign noted that the superdelegates don’t vote until July 25 and can change their minds between now and the convention.
“It is unfortunate that the media, in a rush to judgement, are ignoring the Democratic National Committee’s clear statement that it is wrong to count the vote of superdelegates before they actually vote at the convention this summer,” the statement read.
For her part, Clinton responded with this tweet:
We鈥檙e flattered, , but we've got primaries to win. CA, MT, NM, ND, NJ, SD, vote tomorrow!
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton)
The AP calculated that delegates Clinton picked up over the weekend in contests in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, along with additional pledges from superdelegates who are not bound by primary results, had put her over the top. Other major national news media, including NBC and the Washington Post, echoed the AP’s call.
But both Sanders and Clinton campaign operatives expressed concern that the AP’s announcement could depress the turnout of their supporters, especially in California, which polls have shown to be neck and neck.
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