Watch CBS News

Clinton Wins Big In South Carolina

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

COLUMBIA, S.C. (CBSMiami) -- It was a big win for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in South Carolina on Saturday.

Exit polls show it was a landslide victory over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and has pushed her as the clear front-runner for the party's nomination.

"Tomorrow, this campaign goes national," Clinton said to supporters in Columbia, South Carolina. "We're not taking anything and we're not taking anyone for granted."

Clinton led Sanders by almost 50 percentage points when all was said and done, 74-26. She has now captured three of the first four nominating contests after wins in Iowa and Nevada, while Sanders took New Hampshire.

She dedicated the victory to young people, women and people of color, thanking them for their support.

"Despite what you hear, we don't need to make America great again -- America has never stopped being great," she said. "But we do need to make America whole again. Instead of building walls, we need to be tearing down barriers. We need to show by everything we do that we really are in this together."

More black voters turned out in 2016 than they did in 2008 for Barack Obama's campaign, 61-55 percent, respectively. Clinton took 87 percent of their votes, compared to Sanders, who won only 13 percent.

Clinton is now primed for Super Tuesday, the 11-state Democratic battle that will put Clinton on friendly and familiar territory in the Deep South.

Sanders responded to the defeat with grace.

"In politics on a given night, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Tonight we lost," Sanders said.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.