Hillary Clinton Wins Final Primary In Washington D.C

MEP: Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has won the Washington DC primary, capturing the party’s last presidential nominating challenge as the negotiations with her rival Bernie Sanders begin in earnest.

“We just won Washington, DC! Grateful to everyone who voted,” Mrs Clinton tweeted on Tuesday.

We just won Washington, D.C.! Grateful to everyone who voted. pic.twitter.com/ImPsK42yGd

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 15, 2016

Clinton after her victory met behind closed doors for more than 90 minutes with her primary rival Bernie Sanders, who signaled earlier in the day that he was not ready to endorse her.

The meeting — which both campaigns characterized as “positive” in statements issued afterward — came on the heels of the final Democratic primary in the District. Clinton easily defeated Sanders. With all precincts reporting, she led the senator from Vermont by more than 3½ to 1.

Mr Sanders is under pressure to give up his campaign and help unite the party.

But the US senator from Vermont has vowed to push on to next month’s convention to gain more converts to his agenda of reducing income inequality, curbing big money in politics and reining in Wall Street.

“We’re going to take that fight into the convention in Philadelphia,” Mr Sanders said ahead of the vote in DC.

Clinton’s campaign said the meeting with Sanders focused on “a variety of progressive issues where they share common goals” and said the two “agreed to continue working on their shared agenda.”

Shortly before 10:30 p.m., both Clinton and Sanders left the meeting at the Capital Hilton, not far from the White House, without speaking to reporters.

Tuesday’s Washington, D.C., primary results—Clinton posted a 79% to 21% win—had no practical effect on the race. With a combination of 2,784 pledged and superdelegates ahead of the result, Mrs. Clinton already had become the party’s presumptive nominee, having easily cleared the 2,383 delegate threshold.

While Sanders aides say his campaign is still “active,” they indicated that he accepts the mathematical realities and understands he can no longer wrest the nomination from Mrs. Clinton. Speaking outside a campaign office in Washington earlier in the day, Mr. Sanders called for the ouster of Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, depicting her as more focused on raising campaign funds than expanding the party and imbuing it with fresh energy.