Hillary Clinton will win South Carolina, CNN projects

Clinton arguably boasts experience in government unparalleled by anyone in the presidential field – but that has also made her a high-profile target for attack. She prevailed by more than 47 percentage points in the most populous state to vote thus far, winning by more than twice the margin of her loss to Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire on February 9.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton notched her third victory in the four early-voting states with a resounding win in SC over Vermont Sen.

“Thank you so much from one end of this state to another”, Clinton said during a victory speech in Columbia, S.C. “I am so greatly appreciative, because today, you sent a message in America: When we stand together there is no barrier too big to break”.

According to exit poll results, more sc voters say they’d be satisfied with Clinton as the eventual nominee than Sanders, eight in 10 versus six in 10. This time around, they divided the vote among women under 30, but 8 in 10 of those between age 30 and 44 said they voted for Clinton. She was introduced Saturday night by Congressman James Clyburn, who fell out with the Clintons over their perception that he favored Obama in ’08 (though he had stayed neutral in the race).

“To South Carolina, to the volunteers at the heart of our campaign, to the supporters who power it: thank you”, she said on Twitter.

Sanders, however, could clinch victories in Colorado, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Vermont, the news site Politico reports.

Clinton’s SC victory was propelled by heavy support from Black voters, 87 percent of whom picked her over Sanders.

“I am so greatly appreciative”, Clinton said speaking to supporters in Columbia.

“I think it’s most important for us, as we look at our choices as to who our next commander in chief will be, is to recognize the necessity to have a commander in chief who has foresight, who exercises good judgment”, Gabbard, a USA representative for Hawaii, said on “Meet the Press”. This year Clyburn endorsed Clinton, just a week before the primary, and he wasn’t exaggerating as he declared, “We, tonight, have started Hillary Clinton on her way to the White House”.

Oh, sure, he’ll notch some wins on Tuesday – in his home state, perhaps in MA – but SC demonstrated clearly what lies ahead.

Clinton’s campaign hopes her strong showing in SC foreshadows similar outcomes in states like Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Virginia that vote Tuesday and have large minority populations.

Sanders vowed to fight on, expressing confidence that he would notch some victories and win delegates on Tuesday.

See more on the SC primary night in this report from senior political reporter, Bob Buckley.

Mrs Clinton’s sweeping victory suggested SC voters had put aside any lingering tensions from her heated 2008 contest with Mr Obama.

“Now, I won’t tell you that we didn’t get beaten, and beaten very badly, in South Carolina”, Sanders said of his 47-point loss on CBS’ “Face the Nation”.

Taking the stage at the University of SC to cheers of “Madam President”, Hillary promised to continue courting voters aggressively in the coming weeks, but she also began looking past Sanders to the leading Republican candidate, Donald J. Trump.