Bernie Sanders has won Indiana's Democratic presidential primary.

With 95 percent of precincts reporting, the senator from Vermont had 52 percent of the vote to Hillary Clinton's 48 percent, a difference of 29,000 votes.

"Let me just take this opportunity to thank the people of Indiana," Sanders said as he made his way back to Indiana once the primary results came in.

Tuesday's primary victory represents a major upset for the early favorite, Hillary Clinton, who was expected to take home a win.

"It's going to give us a great deal of momentum." Sanders rallied in Indiana with large crowds at the Century Center in South Bend and by spending roughly $1.8 million on advertisements, according to CNN.

The victory had local Democrats taking a closer look at the Vermont senator's strategy.

"You have a lot of factors," said Jason Critchlow, chairman of the St. Joseph County Democratic Party. "Bernie Sanders has had a campaign headquarters in St. Joseph County for a couple weeks, Hillary Clinton does not."

And while Clinton typically pulls urban and minority votes, Critchlow said Sanders decisive win in South Bend and Mishawaka precincts represents a change.

Clinton appeared to have taken an early leave from the Hoosier state, making her last appearance last week. She spent Tuesday campaigning in West Virginia and Ohio.

"I know that there are people in this region -- and I met some of them yesterday -- who find it hard voting for any Democrat or voting for me particularly, but I'm going to keep trying to convince people otherwise," Clinton said in a speech in Athens, Ohio.

But despite Sanders' Indiana win, he lags in the overall count, needing more than 60 percent of pledged delegates in the remainder of the races to clinch the nomination. Sanders says he isn't worried.

"We understand that we have an uphill battle against us," but Sanders told his supporters that he has a path, albeit a narrow one, to win the nomination.

"Democrats and Progressives win elections when voter turnout is high. Republicans win elections when voter turnout is low."

Sanders said his strategy moving forward, without the assistance of Super PACs, is to hold more rallies, stimulate the conversation on issues close to his heart like income equality, universal healthcare and access to education, and pull more voters into a "political revolution" to get rid of the political machine.





The Latest: Sanders says Indiana victory 'great upset'

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on campaign 2016 as voters in Indiana head to the polls for the state primary (all times Eastern):

9:50 p.m.

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders tells The Associated Press that he has won a "great upset victory" in Indiana over rival Hillary Clinton and he expects "more victories in the weeks to come."

The Vermont senator said Tuesday "the Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. They're wrong."

He said he has an "uphill climb" to the nomination but he's "in this campaign to win and we are going to fight until the last vote is cast."

Sanders said he wants to debate Clinton in California.





Clinton vs. Sanders for Hoosier Democrat votes

The focus and attention has largely been placed on Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has outspent his opponent when it came to campaigning for votes.

According to CNN, Sanders spent $1.8 million on advertisements in the Hoosier state, compared to Hillary Clinton, who has spent virtually nothing.

The Associated Press delegate counter has Clinton 218 delegates short of clinching the Democratic nomination, taking into account delegates won and super delegates pledged.

Tuesday the candidates continued their campaigns. Sanders, focusing on the economy in an interview with MSNBC.

"For the younger generation, if we do not change the economy, will for the first time in history, have a lower standard of living than their parents. In other words the death of the American Dream, these young people do not want to see that dream die."

Sanders added that any candidate, whether it's him or Clinton, needs to address the American people and promise to tackle corporate America: "To say yes, that the wealthy and the powerful will start paying their fair share of taxes."

Even if Sanders doesn't win the nomination he said he would do "whatever it takes" to make sure a Republican doesn't win the general election.

Sanders hosted more public rallies than his opponent who left Indiana two days ago to continue her campaign in West Virginia and Ohio.

In West Virginia she talked about the growing problem with opiates and heroin, and in Ohio she talked about pushing for domestic energy jobs.

"I know that there are people in this region, and I met with some of them yesterday, who find it hard voting for any Democrat or voting for me in particular, but I'm going to keep trying to convince people otherwise," Clinton said in her Ohio address, "But that's not what this trip is about. I'm here because I want to be your president because i believe that our best years can still be ahead of us."

There are 83 delegates up for grabs in Indiana in the Democratic primary which will be divided proportionally based on votes.