Sen. Bernie Sanders has won the West Virginia primary with 51 percent of the vote (so far). While the delegate math in this matter does not matter since Hillary Clinton has all but locked it up, it’s a stinging rebuke from her 2008 campaign. She won the state over then-Barack Obama 66/25. In 2016, the former first lady’s comments about coal miners might have been the deciding factor in her loss.
BREAKING: Bernie Sanders wins the Democratic #WVPrimary. @AP race call at 9:24 p.m. EDT. #Election2016 #APracecall pic.twitter.com/K0Pq8vcyLg
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 11, 2016
West Virginia is also one of the most conservative electorates in the country. Forty-two percent of the West Virginia Democrats want the next president to be less liberal. Concerning Sanders supporters, 44 percent would vote for Trump in the election if it were between her and the billionaire (via CBS News):
About a third of West Virginia Democratic primary voters were looking for a candidate who cares about people like them, this was closely followed by voters seeking a candidate who is honest/trustworthy (28%).Almost half of Democratic primary voters in West Virginia identify as liberal, among the lowest we've seen in exit polling this year. More than four in 10 Democratic primary voters in West Virginia want to see the next president actually change to policies that are less liberal than President Obama's--the highest in the primaries so far.
The economy was, unsurprisingly, the top issue for voters.
According to CNN exit polls, Sanders won West Virginian women voters, who represent 53 percent of the electorate, 52/38 over Clinton. He also won every income bracket in the primary.