MIAMI (AP) – Bernie Sanders’ campaign claimed fresh momentum Wednesday after the senator’s upset victory in Michigan. But Hillary Clinton’s campaign pointed to her growing delegate lead and predicted it would soon have an “insurmountable” advantage as the nomination fight looked to drag deep into spring.
Sanders’ campaign manager Jeff Weaver called Michigan a “game-changer” in the Democratic presidential contest and said it would bode well for the Vermont senator in primaries next week in Ohio, Illinois and Missouri. He vowed to contest the three Midwest states along with Florida and North Carolina, which also vote on March 15, a shift from a more selective approach in the Super Tuesday states earlier this month.
“We’re running hard in all the states,” said Weaver, pointing to Sanders’ advertising in the five states. “This is not pick-and-choose on March 15. We’re competing everywhere.”
Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook countered that despite the loss in Michigan, where polls showed Clinton with a comfortable lead in recent weeks, the contours of the race had not changed. He said Clinton’s pledged delegate lead of more than 200 would continue to grow and soon foreclose any path to victory for Sanders.
“We are confident we are nearing the point where our delegate lead will effectively become insurmountable,” Mook said Wednesday.