Nearly six hours after polls began to close in Kentucky, CNN and NBC News projected Hillary Clinton the winner of the Democratic primary.
Clinton and rival Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) were in a dead heat for much of the night. While the last polls closed in the Bluegress State at 7 p.m. ET, NBC News didn’t call Clinton the “apparent winner” until 10:10 p.m. ET, and CNN’s projection came shortly before midnight.
BREAKING: Hillary Clinton is the apparent winner of the KY Dem primary. More: https://t.co/9ShsnW0qzv #Decision2016 pic.twitter.com/IFMdBzNvhy
— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 18, 2016
Kentucky’s Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) had earlier called into CNN to say Clinton was the “unofficial winner” of the primary. Clinton also declared victory for herself in a tweet:
We just won Kentucky! Thanks to everyone who turned out. We’re always stronger united. https://t.co/8qYPHIje8I pic.twitter.com/elNUP4nFoO
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) May 18, 2016
This post has been updated.
