Story highlights Clinton said the sooner she wins the Democratic nomination, the sooner she can unify the party

Clinton, while ahead of Sanders in delegates, has had to fight off questions about the Vermont senator's momentum

Brooklyn, New York (CNN) Hillary Clinton, after splitting delegates with Bernie Sanders in Wyoming earlier in the day, told an audience on Saturday that her campaign is "on a path towards the nomination."

But, she said, she needs to become the nominee quickly so that she can direct all of her focus on Republicans.

Clinton did not mention Wyoming during her remarks, but her aides boasted publicly about splitting delegates with Sanders in the Cowboy State, something they did not think they would do going into the contest.

"We are on a path to the nomination, but I need to win big here in New York, because the sooner I can become the nominee, I can turn and unify the Democratic Party like I did with President Obama in 2008," Clinton said. "And the sooner we can go after the Republicans full-time."

The race between Clinton and Sanders has grown more acrimonious in the past week, with the Vermont senator saying the former secretary of state was not qualified to be president before walking back his comments.

Read More