Senator Bernie Sanders won the Nebraska Democratic caucuses Saturday, defeating Hillary Clinton. Sanders followed up his appearance in Lincoln Thursday with the decisive win. Nebraska's five largest counties all showed Sanders winning by a large margin over Clinton.
Statewide, with 99 percent of the sites reporting, Sanders earned 18,940 (57%) votes to Clinton's 14,234 (43%) votes.
“I thank the people of Nebraska for their strong support," Sanders said in a new release from his campaign. "The win in Nebraska coupled with a double-digit victory in Kansas tonight will put us on a path toward victory. We’ve got the momentum, the energy and the excitement that will take us all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
“I feel good about our campaign because the voters are sending a clear message. No matter what the pundits say, it is the voters who will decide this election.”
Sanders also won the Kansas Democratic caucuses. Clinton earned a win in the Louisiana primary.
Nebraska Republicans will hold their presidential primary on May 10.
UPDATE SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2016 9:05 pm CT
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is the projected winner of the 2016 Nebraska Democratic Caucus. With 79 percent of the sites reporting, Sanders has 12,664 (55%) votes to Hillary Clinton's 10,324 (45%) votes.
SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2016 8:15 pm CT
The Associated Press has declared Bernie Sanders the winner of the 2016 Nebraska Democratic Caucus.
The first results show Sanders with 11,703 (55%) votes to Hillary Clinton's 9,665 (45%) votes. Those vote totals reflect 75 percent of the sites reporting.
Nebraska Democratic party officials say 21,368 participants took part in the caucuses across 116 locations. They say that reflects a "strong turnout."
The first vote totals do not include results from Sarpy and Lancaster counties, which reflect two of the larger population areas in the state.
The vote totals include 6,241 absentee votes.
Sanders held a campaign rally in Lincoln Thursday. Clinton campaigned in Nebraska in December, but not since. However, her daughter Chelsea made several appearances in Omaha and Lincoln, and her husband, President Bill Clinton, spoke to crowds this week in Omaha and Lincoln.