Bernie Sanders won the Kansas Democratic caucus on Saturday night, according to an announcement from the state party.
The Vermont senator thus defeated Hillary Clinton in the first Democratic contest of the night. Ted Cruz won on the Republican side earlier in the day.
While Sanders has struggled in Southern primaries with a large percentage of black voters, he has been able to compete with Clinton among white liberals. Sanders has also replicated some of Barack Obama’s 2008 success against Clinton in the caucus states, although he narrowly lost Iowa and Nevada.
Sanders is falling behind in the delegate count, especially with so many superdelegates in Clinton’s camp, but he is fighting to keep the race competitive.
The Kansas victory continues the 74-year-old senator’s strong showing in Midwestern states. He previously won Oklahoma and had a strong if unsuccessful showing in Iowa.
Sanders’ win puts a dent in Clinton’s momentum after her Super Tuesday victories, but may not be enough to alter her trajectory toward the Democratic nomination. Sanders and Clinton will meet in Michigan for another Democratic presidential debate on Sunday night.
