Statement by Senator Bernie Sanders on Winning the West Virginia Primary

SALEM, Ore. - U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Tuesday issued the following statement after The Associated Press projected that he won the presidential primary election in West Virginia:

"I want to thank the people of West Virginia for the tremendous victory they gave us today in a state that provided a landslide vote for Hillary Clinton in 2008. West Virginia is a working-class state and many of the people there are hurting. They know, like most Americans, that it is too late for establishment politics and establishment economics. They want real change.

"With this outcome, we now have won primaries and caucuses in 19 states. We are in this campaign to win the Democratic nomination and we're going to stay in the race until the last vote is cast. We expect more victories in the weeks to come when voters go to the polls in Kentucky, Oregon, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and the District of Columbia.

"We fully acknowledge we have an uphill climb ahead of us, but we're used to that. We have been fighting uphill from the day this campaign began. And after all the votes are cast and counted and this contest moves to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, the delegates will decide which candidate is the strongest nominee to take on Donald Trump in November. All of the evidence indicates that I am that candidate.

"As voters in the remaining states and territories make up their minds about the future of the Democratic Party, I believe they deserve a chance to compare my record and Secretary Clinton's record on creating jobs, raising the minimum wage, war and peace, the need for health care for all, breaking up big banks, combating climate change and other critical issues. Secretary Clinton's campaign already has agreed to another debate in California. I hope that we can soon settle on a date and place for that debate."