Hillary Clinton sweeps South Carolina as ‘Super Tuesday’ looms

Hillary Clinton scored a resounding victory against Bernie Sanders in Saturday’s Democratic primary in South Carolina, seizing momentum ahead of the most important day of the nomination race: next week’s “Super Tuesday” showdown.

Four weeks into the White House primaries, the former secretary of state earned her first decisive win of the campaign, after a nail-biter victory in Iowa, a thumping loss to Mr Sanders in New Hampshire, and then a five-point win in Nevada.

South Carolina was the first southern state to vote for a 2016 Democratic nominee, before the race broadens to 11 contests across the country.

“On Monday this campaign goes national,” Ms Clinton said to a loud roar as she thanked supporters in Columbia, South Carolina, where she emerged with a clearer path to the nomination.

“We are going to compete for every vote in every state. We are not taking anything, and we are not taking anyone, for granted.” US networks called the race for Ms Clinton immediately after polls closed in the Palmetto State, where the majority of Democratic voters are African-American, a voting bloc she and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, have successfully courted for decades.

Ms Clinton looked beyo-nd her battle with Mr San-ders, tweaking the man many now see as the likely Republican nominee: Donald Trump.

“Despite what you hear, we don’t need to make America great again. America has never stopped being great,” she said, reading off a teleprompter.

“But we do need to make America whole again,” she added, laying out an argument against the divisive rhetoric favoured by Ms Trump, who has antagonised immigrants, Muslims and campaign rivals.

“I know it sometimes seems a little odd for someone running for president these days and in this time to say we need more love and kindness in America,” she added. “But I am telling you from the bottom of my heart, we do.”