Sanders says if he wins New York, he'll win White House

Democratic presidential candidate says voter turnout in April 19 primary could affect the trajectory of his campaign

NEW YORK (AP) — Bernie Sanders is telling hundreds of supporters in New York City that if he wins the state’s primary, he will win the White House.

The Democratic presidential candidate says voter turnout in April 19’s primary could affect the trajectory of his campaign. The Empire State has 247 delegates up for grabs, the second largest haul in the primary season.

Sanders was joined at the rally Thursday night in the Bronx by actress Rosario Dawson, director Spike Lee and singer Residente. They spoke of Bernie’s support for women and for Puerto Rico in its debt crisis.

Sanders drew on his experience growing up in Brooklyn. He reiterated his positions on fighting income inequality, creating a single-payer healthcare system and raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Sanders is preparing for a drag-out fight against Hillary Clinton in New York, a state where they both have roots. Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, will hold a series of events upstate, said campaign aides, to highlight her record as a two-term senator and her work helping more economically-depressed parts of the region.

Clinton will release a $10 billion plan aimed at revitalizing manufacturing in Syracuse on Friday, part of an effort to highlight her work as a senator from New York ahead of that state’s primary later this month.

In the weeks before the April 19 contest, Clinton plans to set off on a nostalgia-infused campaign tour designed to remind primary voters of her deep connection to their state.

She’s also trying to boost support among rural and working-class voters, groups that have favored Sanders in previous primary contests.

“We’ll really be highlighting how Hillary Clinton made a real difference in the economy lives of people she served,” said Clinton campaign senior policy aide Jake Sullivan. “She’ll have their back and the back of working people as president.”

Her manufacturing proposal centers on using federal funding to create “Make it in America Partnerships” among universities, private companies, unions and government. Businesses participating in the program would pledge not to outsource jobs or move their headquarters abroad to avoid paying US taxes.

A loss to Sanders in New York would not significantly winnow Clinton’s advantage among the delegates who determine the nomination, but it would be a major psychological blow to her supporters and raise questions about the level of enthusiasm within her own party for her bid.