Hillary Clinton has been declared the winner of the 2016 S.C. Democratic primary with her biggest margin of victory yet. While the win was not unexpected, the solid victory is a boost to her campaign's momentum following a virtual tie in Iowa, a loss in New Hampshire and a smaller than expected win in Nevada.
Clinton was polling ahead of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders by 27.5 points in the final RealClearPolitics average before the primary. She was also buoyed by the last-minute high-profile endorsement of Rep. Jim Clyburn.
The Sanders' campaign had largely decided to concede the Palmetto State and instead focus on other states considered more in play for the senator, such as Michigan and Ohio.
Saturday's win adds to Clinton's lead in the delegate count. Clinton came into South Carolina with 505 delegates compared to Sanders' 71, and she took 39 of S.C.'s 53 pledged delegates. It takes 2,383 delegates to secure the Democratic nomination.
Up next for the candidates is the first Super Tuesday of the 2016 election cycle. Thirteen states and one territory will head to the polls with hundreds of delegates at stake. Clinton is heavily favored in the majority of states up for grabs, but Sanders is expected to carry his home state of Vermont.