Jess Aloe

Free Press Staff Writer

SOUTH BURLINGTON - Bernie Sanders returned home to Vermont late Tuesday, leaving State College, Pennsylvania, before the polls closed in New York.

He was in the air when the media called the Democratic presidential primary for Hillary Clinton. A former U.S. senator from New York, Clinton was ahead of Sanders 53.7 to 42.3 percent with 85 percent of votes counted as of 11 p.m. Tuesday. New York has 247 delegates.

"We believe we have the momentum, and we believe we have a path of victory," Sanders told a small group of Vermont reporters a few minutes after he landed at the Burlington airport. Five states vote next week — Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island — and Sanders said he is looking forward to winning a number of those states.

He told reporters he had concerns about "voting irregularities" and issues with voter registration in New York.

"I am really concerned about the conduct of the voting process in New York state, and I hope that process will change in the future," he said.

Sanders said he has no plans to change campaign strategy after his loss to Clinton, and his message is resonating throughout the country. Grassroots efforts would be the key to winning upcoming states including Pennsylvania, he added.

He came back to Burlington because he has been away for several weeks, he said.

"I miss Vermont," Sanders said, "and we need to get recharged and take a day off."

Editorial: Bernie Sanders should stay in race

Contact Jess Aloe at 802-660-1874 or jaloe@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jess_aloe.