WASHINGTON, March 18 (UPI) — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders conceded defeat in Missouri’s initially too-close-to-call Democratic primary, giving former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton the sweep in all five of Tuesday’s contests.
Sanders said he will not request a recount of votes, although he reportedly lost by a slim margin of 1,531 ballots, or .2 percent. Some absentee votes, accepted until noon Friday, still need to be counted before results are official.
The decision not to call for recount, Sanders spokesperson Michael Briggs told CNN,was meant to “save the taxpayers of Missouri some money.” Candidates may call for a recount in Missouri if there is .5 percent or less difference in votes between first and second place.
Despite Clinton’s win, delegates were split evenly between the two candidates. Sanders lags behind Clinton in delegate count, but remains hopeful for big wins in upcoming primary elections.
In a statement following his Super Tuesday loss, Sanders congratulated Clinton and thanked supporters, saying he is looking forward to making it to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
“With more than half the delegates yet to be chosen and a calendar that favors us in the weeks and months to come, we remain confident that our campaign is on a path to win the nomination,” he said Wednesday.
Sanders’ camp said it’s preparing for a favorable turnaround as it heads for more progressive states like California and New York, The Washington Post reported. At a fundraiser this week, Sanders predicted “an extremely good chance” to win the rest of the states voting this month, including Arizona and Utah.
“Our progressive agenda has enormous support,” Sanders said in an interview. “For anyone to rule us out is making a mistake.”
The Vermont senator, however, has said it will be a “hard fight” to regain traction although his progressive agenda sees “enormous support.” He added dropping out would be “outrageously undemocratic.”
