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The Last Big Night Of The Primaries, In 5 Headlines

Hillary Clinton addresses her supporters at a rally Tuesday in Brooklyn, N.Y., after clinching her status as presumptive Democratic nominee.
Carolyn Cole
/
LA Times via Getty Images
Hillary Clinton addresses her supporters at a rally Tuesday in Brooklyn, N.Y., after clinching her status as presumptive Democratic nominee.

Hillary Clinton made history, and took California in the process.

Bernie Sanders notched two state primary victories and — despite Clinton's status as presumptive nominee — said he would remain in the race.

And Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee heading into the night, did something standard for most politicians but striking for him: He gave a scripted speech.

Here are five headlines that shed light on last night's primaries:

Clinton claims milestone as first female major-party nominee, wins California primaryLos Angeles Times

" 'Tonight's victory is not about one person,' said Clinton, who took the stage after a filmed tribute to leaders of the suffrage movement and other political pioneers. 'It belongs to generations of women and men who struggled and sacrificed and made this moment possible.'

"Victories in New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota gave Clinton the delegates she needed to win the nomination on the first ballot at next month's Democratic National Convention and dispelled the notion she might limp to her party's coronation.

"She topped her performance with a surprisingly comfortable victory in California. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders notched victories in Montana and North Dakota."

Bernie Sanders says he's not dropping out of the presidential race just yetVox

"I am pretty good in arithmetic and I know that the fight in front of us is a very, very steep fight," Sanders said. "But we will continue to fight for every vote and every delegate we can get."

"... Sanders currently trails Clinton by about 800 delegates, and in that sole remaining DC primary — which he's expected to lose — there are a paltry [20] pledged delegates at stake.

"So he'd instead have to rely on flipping superdelegates, who have overwhelmingly backed Clinton so far, over to his side. Yet not a single superdelegate has abandoned Clinton in favor of backing Sanders so far ... "

Trump unleashes teleprompter-powered attack on ClintonPolitico

" ... Trump stood behind a podium and spoke from a teleprompter, eschewing his familiar off-the-cuff vernacular and delivering a more refined, scripted sales pitch that portrayed his signature bombast in a more flattering light.

" 'Some people say I'm too much of a fighter,' Trump said. 'My goal is always, again, to bring people together. But if I'm forced to fight for something I really care about, I will never back down and our country will never back down.' ...

" 'We can't solve our problems by relying on the people who created our problems,' said Trump, who announced plans to give a comprehensive speech next week 'discussing all of the things that have taken place with the Clintons.' "

The presidential race wasn't the only game in town, of course. Here are two Congressional races that made headlines:

Two California Democrats Are the November Candidates for U.S. SenateKQED

"California voters will choose between two Democrats in the contest to replace U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, a historic matchup made possible by California's top-two primary system.

"State Attorney General Kamala Harris emerged the clear winner Tuesday night, followed by U.S. congresswoman Loretta Sanchez. The November contest between the two Democrats will mark the first time in state history that members of the same party face off in a general election to represent California in the nation's capital."

Trump-backed Rep. Ellmers becomes first GOP incumbent to lose primary -- USA Today

"Trump backed Ellmers in a robocall that went out on Saturday calling her a 'fighter' who could help him get things done in Washington. It was his first official congressional endorsement.

"But on Tuesday, she lost in a primary to Rep. George Holding after redistricting forced the two North Carolina incumbents to compete for the seat.

(NPR has more on how conservative groups worked to defeat Ellmers over disappointment with the one-time Tea Party star's votes on abortion, spending increases and the Export-Import Bank.)

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Camila Flamiano Domonoske covers cars, energy and the future of mobility for NPR's Business Desk.