Hillary Clinton Wins Pennsylvania Democratic Primary

Hillary Clinton won the Pennsylvania Democratic primary, giving her victories Tuesday in at least three states over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, all but assuring her the party's nomination in July. Clinton and Sanders had campaigned hard in the state, where 210 delegates were divided.

At her victory speech, speaking to a Philadelphia crowd as raucous as she's seen on election night, Clinton shifted her attention to the general election and uniting the party, saying her campaign believes in the "goodness of our people and the greatness of our nation."

Amid cheers and chants of "Hillary," she pledged to fight for the middle class.

"Our campaign is about restoring people's confidence in our ability to solve problems together," she said.

In a reference to Sanders' campaign, Clinton said she's setting, "bold, progressive goals, backed up by real plans."

"We have to be both dreamers and doers," the former secretary of state said during her election night event at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Clinton said she applauded Sanders and his supporters for inspiring the campaign to get "unaccountable" money out of politics and address income inequality.

But, in an effort to draw his supporters on her side as sets her sights on a general election campaign, she noted the two campaigns have more in common than they do differences.

"There's much more that unites us than divides us," she said.

Clinton's victory in the Keystone State comes after voters and election workers reported a strong turnout for the presidential nominating contest and a hotly-contested senate race.

All eyes were on Clinton and Sanders in the battle for the Keystone State's 210 delegates.

The mood at Clinton's election night party was energetic, campaign officials told NBC News, saying their candidate was having the type of night they had hoped for.

Speaking to cheering supporters before the Pennsylvania results came in, Sanders said he is better positioned to take on the Republicans in the fall, saying he can draw more support from Independents. "The reason that we are generating this enthusiasm is because we are doing something very unusual in contemporary American politics: we are telling the truth," Sanders said to cheers and applause while at an event in West Virginia.

The contest in Pennsylvania was critical for the Vermont senator, a self-described Democratic Socialist. He needed a sizable win over Clinton in the Keystone State to keep the nomination within grasp, analysts predicted.

Is Tuesday Sanders' last stand? Many pundits are predicting an nearly impossible feat for Sanders if he doesn't come up big Tuesday.

In addition to Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland and Rhode Island held primaries Tuesday. In total, there were 384 pledged delegates at stake for the Democrats during Tuesday's five races.

Democratic party leaders have expressed concern that the ongoing primary battle has divided the party, but exit polling data would suggest otherwise.

According to exit polling data, 71 percent of Democrats think the primary has energized the party. Specifically, the network's exit polling data shows that 82 percent of Clinton's supporters believe the primary has energized the party; just 58 of Sanders' supporters feel the same way.

Bernie Sanders' campaign said Tuesday it will "reassess" his campaign following today's results, the New York Times reports. Campaign advisor Tad Devine tells the publication the senator will look at where he stands following the primaries in five states. However, Devine told the paper Sanders will remain in the contest through the primary season.

Jane Sanders, the candidate's wife, expressed confusion in an interview with MSNBC's Chris Hayes and denied any suggestion the senator would be exiting the race early.

Sanders outspent Clinton by nearly double in the states holding primaries Tuesday, NBC News reports. Sanders spent $4.6 million on ads in Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island compared to Clinton's $2.4 million.

In exit polls, a majority of Democratic voters in Pennsylvania identified the economy as the most important issue. Income inequality, Sanders' signature issue, was second, followed by health care and then terrorism.

Voters in Collegeville reported steady lines throughout the day. And in Ardmore, turnout was also strong. It was there where Patch caught up with voter Kyle Murray, who expressed his excitement for voting today.

"I register for a party specifically to have the opportunity to vote in the primary. Otherwise, I miss an important opportunity to have a say in this country's future," said Murray, who declined to say which candidate he supported.

Voters in Pennsylvania were enthusiastic about casting their ballots. "It is exciting to be a part of a primary that matters this year. You get excited to vote. I'm not die-hard for this guy or that guy or for anyone but I'm still excited to vote," said Phoenixville resident David Philbrook at his polling place. He declined to offer his party affiliation.

Poll workers in Bucks County report a solid turnout so far. In Philadelphia, 6ABC reports turnout is heavier than normal. Philadelphia Democratic Party Chairman Bob Brady tells the news network that early reports from his ward leaders indicate a higher than expected turnout.

Bernie Sanders' senior advisor Tad Devine tells MSNBC's Chris Jansing that the candidate has no plans to run as an Independent if he loses to Hillary Clinton. Devine tells Jansing that Sanders will support the Democratic nominee during the general election. Devine's comments came just hours after Republican Donald Trump Tweeted his support of a Sanders Independent run because the Democrats have treated him "terribly."

Sanders spent the morning at Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market, where he shook hands with patrons and told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell that he believed his campaign would have good results today in the Keystone State if voter turnout is strong.

The Pennsylvania primary comes one week after Sanders' crushing double-digit loss in New York, which took some of the wind out of his campaign's sails and halted a multi-state winning streak.

Nonetheless, Sanders was always playing catch up against Clinton.

"The math has been difficult for Bernie Sanders for a very long time. He needed to win New York and he needed to win New York by a large margin, and in fact that didn’t happen," said Matthew Kerbel, a professor and chair of Villanova Univeristy's Political Science Department who authors the blog WolvesandSheep.com.

On Tuesday, Sanders encouraged his supporters in the Keystone State to vote if they want to see the political movement take place.

Here are some photos from the polls:

RELATED

• Pennsylvania Primary 2016: Candidates, Poll Hours, Results
• 2016 Primaries: Tuesday Elections Favor the Frontrunners
• Pennsylvania Republican Primary 2016: Voters Take To Polls
• 2016 Pa. Senate Primary: 4 Democrats Vying To Take On Toomey