US: Clinton claims nomination as primaries near end

By Kasim Ileri

WASHINGTON

Hillary Clinton claimed the Democratic Party nomination Tuesday night, securing her place in American history as the first woman to become one of the two major parties’ presidential candidate.

American media had already declared the former secretary of state the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party on Monday based on projected numbers of delegates but Tuesday contests in California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota and South Dakota have reportedly sealed those projections.

"Thanks to you, we've reached a milestone," Clinton said during a speech in Brooklyn, New York. "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 had 1812 pledged delegates and had the support of 573 superdelegates who are free to support any candidate at the party convention in Philadelphia in July before Tuesday's polls closed.

On Tuesday, Clinton won primaries in New Mexico, New Jersey and South Dakota bringing up her delegate count to 2,497.

The primary votes of the delegate-rich state of California, where 475 Democratic delegates are at stake, are still being counted. Clinton was leading with around three quarters of precincts reporting, according to American media.

A candidate needs to have 2,383 delegates to become the Democratic Party nominee.

Clinton’s rival Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders won in North Dakota and Montana on Tuesday.

Sanders is not expected to drop out of the race, reportedly hoping super-delegates will in the end support him at the party convention.

Following Clinton's victory speech Sanders campaign announced a rally Thursday in Washington, D.C.

The senator’s campaign claims that as long as Clinton does not have 2,383 pledged delegates, it would be premature to call her the nominee because of a potential shift of the superdelegates.

Clinton is not likely to reach that number of pledged delegates in the Tuesday primaries as well as in next week’s Washington D.C. primary.

On the Republican side, the presumptive nominee Donald Trump won all six states.

The billionaire called for unity in the Republican Party in a speech Tuesday night.

"We are only getting started and it is going to be beautiful," he said.

"I understand the responsibility of carrying the mantle and I will never, ever let you down," he added.