Last night, after decisive victories in California and New Jersey, many people (including Hillary Clinton) declared Hillary Clinton the presumptive nominee for President of the United States for the Democratic party.

But not everyone accepts that declaration, specifically Clinton's opposition for that nomination, Bernie Sanders. Sanders told supporters in Santa Monica last night that "the struggle continues," saying: "Next Tuesday we continue the fight in the last primary in Washington, D.C."

After that, he promised to bring his campaign to the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia next month.

Some people aren't happy with Sanders' tenacity however. In an interview with The Washington Post's Greg Sargent, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, the only member of the Senate to endorse Sanders, said it was time for Senator from Vermont to get behind Clinton.

"Once a candidate has won a majority of the pledged delegates and a majority of the popular vote, which Secretary Clinton has now done, we have our nominee," Merkley told Sargent.

"It will be very important for Senator Sanders to link arms with Secretary Clinton," he added.

But he seems optimistic it will happen, saying, "Bernie Sanders has been absolutely clear that he's going to do everything possible to beat Donald Trump."

Meanwhile, Twitter has basically called it for Clinton, with tweets that run the gamut from extreme excitement at the historical significance of the first ever woman presidential nominee from a major political party to the tepidly enthused to those just hoping to avoid an apocalypse.

I am excited about Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee and next president of the United States. This is history. Again. — roxane gay (@rgay) June 8, 2016

Clinton is scary in ways, I agree, but compared to Trump? Not even same ballpark. #FeltTheBern #ImWithHer https://t.co/J9Em51Xwfi — Joseph Gordon-Levitt (@hitRECordJoe) June 8, 2016

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052

lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker