WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Sweeping to victory in four key primary contests, Hillary Clinton has solidified her hold on the Democratic nomination, allowing her to begin the work of unifying her party against GOP front-runner Donald Trump.
The process won’t be pretty: Rival Bernie Sanders has tapped into a deep vein of anti-Washington sentiment in the Democratic Party, turning what was once expected to be an easy race for Clinton into a far tougher competition. He’s vowed to continue all the way to the national convention in July.
But Tuesday night’s victories allow Clinton to claim wins in key general election battlegrounds across the country – North Carolina, Florida and Ohio – and demonstrate her appeal to Rust Belt voters who will play a pivotal role in November.
A decisive win in Florida, Tuesday’s biggest delegate prize, left her on track to expand an already-commanding lead. Clinton now has at least 1,561 delegates, nearly two-thirds of the total needed to win the Democratic nomination. Sanders trails far behind with at least 800.
Ever so carefully, Clinton is trying to move some of her focus off the primary race. Over the past few days, she has begun peppering her standard stump speech with subtle calls for party unity and more direct attacks on Trump’s rhetoric, experience and plans.