Clinton wins New Mexico Democratic primary

Hillary Clinton won the New Mexico Democratic primary Tuesday, drawing 51.54 percent of the vote statewide, according to numbers that are virtually finalized. Bernie Sanders drew 48.46 percent of the vote.

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The New Mexico numbers are final — 33.7 percent of eligible registered voters in New Mexico cast a ballot, according to voting figures — 325,042 out of 963,352, according to the Secretary of State’s website.

Clinton won San Juan, Rio Arriba, Sandoval, McKinley, Cibola, Santa Fe, San Miguel, Mora, Colfax, Harding, Quay, Guadalupe, Hidalgo, Grant, Luna, Dona Ana, Otero, Chaves, Eddy and Lea counties.

Sanders took the victory in Bernalillo, Taos, Union, Torrance, Catron, Lincoln, Sierra, De Baca, Curry and Roosevelt counties.

At stake in New Mexico are 34 pledged delegates and nine superdelegates, the party leaders who are free to choose their candidate. Seven of New Mexico’s superdelegates sided with Clinton before Tuesday’s vote, and two have been uncommitted.

The vote gap between Clinton and her opponent, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, was narrower than polls had called for after Sanders campaigned in Santa Fe, Albuquerque and near Las Cruces.

Clinton herself did not campaign in the state and instead sent her husband, Former President Bill Clinton, to campaign for her in Espanola, Albuquerque and Las Cruces.

The Associated Press said late Monday that Clinton had won the total amount of pledged delegates and superdelegates to claim the Democratic nomination, something Sanders said was “disappointing” ahead of Tuesday’s important primaries in California, New Mexico and four other states.

Sanders and his supporters continued to push their message Tuesday that superdelegates will not finalize their votes until the July Democratic National Convention.

(Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Posted on: June 7, 2016Blair Miller