SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – Facing an uphill battle to defeat frontrunner Hillary Clinton, Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders is reportedly laying off staff and focusing his campaign on the California primary in June.

In an interview with the New York Times, Sanders said he would lay off hundreds of staff, particularly in states which already held primaries. The senator from Vermont also said he plans to move staff to California, where the primary will be held on June 7th.

“Symbolically and in terms of delegates, if we can win the largest state in this country, that will send a real message to the American people and to the delegates that this is a campaign that is moving in the direction it should,” Sanders told the newspaper.

Sanders also said he hoped to hold rallies for “hundreds of thousands” in the Golden State in the coming weeks.

While Sanders won Tuesday’s Democratic primary in Rhode Island, the former Secretary of State won primaries in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

As of Wednesday, CNN estimated Sanders had 1,359 pledged delegates and 42 superdelegates, while Clinton had 1,666 pledged delegates and 502 superdelegates. Either candidate must have 2,383 delegates to win the nomination.

The last day to register to vote for the primary is May 23rd. Democrats and those who decline to state a party affiliation are eligible to participate in the Democratic primary.