Hillary Clinton won a lopsided but largely symbolic victory Sunday in Puerto Rico’s presidential primary, the final act in a weekend of tumult that brought Barack Obama closer to the Democratic presidential nomination.
The former first lady was gaining more than 60 percent of the vote in early returns, and a pre-election poll suggested she could wind up with nearly two-thirds support.
In defeat, Obama was on track to gain at least 14 delegates, bringing him within 50 of the 2,118 needed for the nomination. Montana and South Dakota close out the primary season this week.
The Democratic Party’s rules and bylaws committee met Saturday and voted to seat disputed delegations from Michigan and Florida, but give each delegate only one-half vote rather than the full vote sought by the Clinton campaign.
While the decision narrowed the gap between Clinton and Obama, it also erased the former first lady’s last, best chance to change the course of the campaign.
