Hillary Clinton led in initial results reported in California’s primary, the biggest delegate prize on a night when Clinton already claimed the Democratic nomination.
Clinton had a big lead over Sanders, but much of the count so far has been of mail-in early voting, in which she was expected to have an advantage.
Sanders has spent the past couple of weeks in California, hopeful that a victory in the Golden State would give him a greater rationale to continue on to the Democratic National Convention in July.
But Clinton’s campaign looked to claim not just a majority of delegates, but a majority of pledged delegates. Her campaign was bolstered by an overwhelming victory in New Jersey and a closer win in New Mexico. She also won South Dakota, and the race was too close to call in Montana.
Earlier in the evening, Clinton claimed the nomination in a speech to supporters in Brooklyn, N.Y.
“Thanks to you, we have reached a milestone, the first time in our nation’s history that a woman will be our party’s nominee,” she said.
