Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders made last bids for support in Michigan’s Democratic primary Tuesday, with both arguing they would be able to navigate gridlock in Washington that has spawned anger among voters of both political parties.
In back-to-back appearances at a town hall hosted by Fox News in Detroit, the two candidates picked up where they left off after Sunday’s debate in Flint, answering questions on the economy, national security, abortion rights, education and working with Republicans.
For the most part, Clinton and Sanders passed over questions designed to pit them against each other. Asked whether he is more trustworthy than Clinton, Sanders said, “I will let the people of the United States make that decision.” Clinton, asked whether she views Sanders as an opponent or an ally, called the Vermont senator an ally.
“If I am so fortunate, I hope to work with him because the issues he has raised, the passion he has demonstrated, the people he has attracted are going to be very important in the general election, but equally following the election to try to get things done,” she said.
Asked whether he would be willing to become Clinton’s running mate, Sanders said he is “talking about running this campaign to win.” Clinton said she was focused on the Michigan primary, not who her running mate might be.
Sanders is running out of opportunities to challenge Clinton’s lead in the Democratic presidential race. She is halfway to winning enough delegates to secure the nomination.
That means Sanders needs a major score in the next round of delegate-rich primaries: Tuesday in Michigan and Mississippi, and contests one week later in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio.
Michigan is a crucial state for Sanders, who is fighting a growing perception that his campaign is more about pushing his agenda than winning the nomination. Despite winning caucuses in Kansas, Nebraska and Maine over the weekend, Sanders has yet to win a large, delegate-rich state. There are 130 delegates up for grabs in Michigan.
After a series of victories, including eight Super Tuesday contests, Clinton leads Sanders by almost 200 pledged delegates won in primaries and caucuses. When super delegates — party members who are free to chose who they will support — are taken into account, Clinton has 1,130 of the 2,383 needed to win the nomination, compared with 499 for Sanders, according to a tally compiled by The Associated Press.
