California Democratic Primary 2016 Results: Clinton Dominates

Voters in California Tuesday gave Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a resounding victory, making her the first woman to lead a major party presidential ticket in the history of the nation.

With about 99.5 percent of the votes tallied by 4:30 a.m., Clinton has 56 percent of the vote while Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has 43.1 percent, giving the progressive candidate little momentum to push for a contested convention.

A half hour before the polls closed in California, Clinton took the stage in New York and declared historic victory.

“It may be hard to see tonight but we are all standing under a glass ceiling right now, but don’t worry we are not smashing this one,” she said. “This is the first time in our history that a woman will be a major party nominee. Tonight’s victory is not about one person. It belongs to generations of women and men who struggled and sacrificed and made this moment possible.”

Clinton’s own mother was on her mind as she acknowledged the historic nature of her victory.

“On the very day my mother was born in Chicago, Congress was passing the 19th Amendment to the constitution,” she told an emotional crowd in Brooklyn.

Wish Mom could have been here to see tonight. pic.twitter.com/NalmZoKoV7
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 8, 2016

“I want to congratulate Senator Sanders,” she added. “He has spent his long career in public service fighting for progressive causes and principles, and he has excited millions of voters, especially young people. And let there be no mistake: Sen. Sanders, his campaign, and the vigorous debate that we’ve had about how to raise incomes, reduce inequality, increase upward mobility have been very good for the Democratic Party and for America.”

In a speech to a boisterous crowd in Santa Monica, Sanders vowed to continue campaigning.

“Next Tuesday we continue the fight at the last primary in Washington D.C.,” he told the crowd. “We are going to fight hard to win the primary in Washington D.C., and then we take our fight for social, economic, racial and environmental justice to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.”

Though he came nowhere near conceding, he shifted his emphasis to the need to defeat Donald Trump.

“Our campaign, from day one, has understood some very basic points, and that is: First, we will not allow rightwing Republicans to control our government, and that is especially true with Donald Trump as the Republican candidate,” Sanders said. “The American people, in my view, will never support a candidate whose major theme is bigotry, who insults Mexicans, who insults Muslims, and women and African Americans. We will not allow Donald Trump to become president of the United States. But we understand our mission is more than just defeating Trump, it is transforming our country.”

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As the votes were tallied in California, the White House announced that Sanders will meet with President Barack Obama Thursday to discuss the issues that his supporters want to see embraced by the Democratic Party.

See Also:

• 2016 California Republican Primary Results: Trump Wins

According to the White House, Obama reached out to both candidates Tuesday night, congratulating both campaigns for energizing Democrats, drawing a new generation of Americans into politics and shining “a spotlight on important policy ideas aimed at making sure our economy and politics work for everybody and not just those with wealth and power.”

News of Clinton clinching the nomination Monday night didn't deter voter turnout, which was on par with the 2012 primary election across much of the state.

It didn't stop Sanders supporter Aubrey Delano, 27, from voting at the community room of her Garden Grove neighborhood park.

She hopes Sanders will push for a contested convention.

“I think Bernie Sanders is amazing, and what he is trying to accomplish is amazing,” Delano said. “He is trying to help students get out of debt.”

Delano cringed at the notion of choosing between Clinton and Donald Trump in November.

“I don’t like Hillary, and I don’t know if I can bring myself to vote for her, but it can’t be the other one (Trump). It can’t be.”

Related:

• 2016 California Republican Primary Results: Will There be a Protest Vote Against Trump

Sanders had gone all-in for California. In the waning days of the campaign, he’s held rallies across the state, practically ignoring New Jersey. A win in California would have given him ammunition to try to convince superdelegates to deliver him the nomination by defecting from Clinton.

California voters didn’t squander their chance to finally play a consequential role in a presidential primary. The state set a record for voter registration thanks to more than 650,000 voters who registered in the final weeks of the primary season.

As the presumptive Democratic nominee, Clinton has her work cut out for her. Like her GOP rival, she polls low in likability, and her critics are outspoken.

Rae Childers, a lifelong Democrat, couldn’t bring herself to vote for Clinton Tuesday in Orange County.

“I’ve been a Democrat all my life, but I wrote in for Trump,” said Childers. “I don’t think the other choices are good for our country.”

Childers said Clinton has too many negatives including her role in Benghazi and her support for Obamacare.

But Clinton also has crossover appeal to some Republicans who can’t stomach a Trump presidency.

Janet Rosenberg, 61, of El Cajon, told Patch that although she is a registered Republican, she will be voting for Clinton based on her support of universal health care, equal pay, women's rights and the rights of all Americans.

"She's the only candidate, I think, who really cares about the true issues and not ‎about the rhetoric," Rosenberg said. "She is for protecting the separation of church and state and the Bill of Rights, which to me is the most important right that we have as Americans. And I find it really disturbing that my Republican Party wants to do away with that."

Throughout the primary race, Clinton dominated Democratic states like California with large minority populations.

But the California primary wasn’t about the numbers even though it awards 546 delegates — by far, the most of any state. Having already clinched the nomination, Clinton didn’t need to win California.

She won more states, more delegates and 3 million more votes than Sanders. According to the Associated Press, Clinton has the 2,383 pledged delegates she needs to be the nominee.

However, a Clinton loss in California would have further emboldened Sanders and sent Clinton into the Democratic convention on weak footing.

“If he were to win, the media and his campaign would declare it a major victory, and she will come into the convention a lot less strong,” said Fred Smoller, a professor of political science at Chapman University.

Smoller predicted Sanders would drop out of the race despite vowing to press for a contested convention.

“Bernie Sanders is not a narcissist. He is an honorable man,” Smoller said. “When he has no chance at all, then he will see himself as destructive.”

Looking forward, Smoller scoffs at Trump’s claims that California will be in play come November. In fact, he predicts that California’s brand of traditional conservatives will shun Trump.

“This guy is not a free-trader,” Smoller said. “These are businessmen. They can’t have somebody who is going to cause uncertainty in Mexico or China.”

I voted for Hillary in LA today! Please vote everyone. Do not take it for granted. We need to have Hillary's back
— Lucy Love (@vitalforces1) June 7, 2016

Till November and beyond. #FeelTheBern pic.twitter.com/0blxwJFCeX
— Kwame Rose (@kwamerose) June 8, 2016