Early returns show Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) leading former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Oregon primary for the Democratic Party presidential nomination.
With 30 percent of the state's registered reporting, Sanders has 52.6 percent of the vote to Clinton's 45.5 percent.
While Clinton's path to the nomination has been solid for weeks (and she won Kentucky earlier tonight), Sanders has painted Oregon as one of the states he had to win in order to upset Clinton at the Democratic National Convention this summer.
Sanders has run a memorable race here—including two rallies at the Moda Center, one of which was marked by the appearance of a house finch on the candidate's podium.
On Sunday, Sanders told WW that a heavy turnout was his only hope for winning Oregon.
"We will win in Oregon if voter turnout is high," he said. "We will lose in Oregon if voter turnout is low."
Willamette Week