Just after 7:00pm ET, Hillary Clinton was declared the winner in the South Carolina Democratic Primary. At the moment, the numbers show Clinton leading with over 70 percent of the vote and that margin appears to be holding steady. This is the type of resounding win Clinton was looking for, perhaps even exceeding expectations put forward earlier this week.
Here is Clinton’s full victory speech from South Carolina:
Report from the Associated Press:
Hillary Clinton overwhelmed Bernie Sanders in Saturday’s South Carolina primary, drawing staggering support from the state’s black Democrats and seizing an increasingly strong position as the presidential race barrels toward Super Tuesday’s crucial contests.
Clinton’s lopsided win — she led by almost 50 points with about three-fourths of the vote counted — provided an important boost for her campaign and a moment to wipe away bitter memories of her loss to Barack Obama in South Carolina eight years ago. She won the support of nearly 9 in 10 black voters, crucial Democratic backers who abandoned her for Obama in 2008.
During a raucous victory rally, Clinton briefly reveled in her sweeping support from South Carolina voters, hugging backers and posing with them for selfie photos. But then she pivoted quickly to the contests to come.
“Tomorrow this campaign goes national,” she said. “We are not taking anything, and we are not taking anyone, for granted.”
Sanders, expecting defeat on Saturday, left the state even before voting was finished and turned his attention to some of the states that vote in next Tuesday’s delegate-rich contests. In a statement, Sanders vowed to fight on aggressively.
“This campaign is just beginning,” he said. “Our grass-roots political revolution is growing state by state, and we won’t stop now.”
A 50 point victory is substantial and is outperforming the polls which showed anywhere from a 20 to 40 point lead. Sanders had already essentially pulled out of state earlier this week, focusing instead on Super Tuesday states where he is polling more competitively.
Bernie Sanders’ speech from South Carolina will be added once he is done speaking.
Update
Sanders spoke last night at a campaign event in Rochester, Minnesota, and addressed the South Carolina results:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMxDavbHTLY
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