Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 Biden's fiscal program: What is the likely market impact? McConnell accuses Democrats of sowing division by 'downplaying progress' on election security MORE is casting his campaign as a fight “for the soul of the Democratic Party” as he tries to wrestle the party’s nomination away from front-runner Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhat Senate Republicans have said about election-year Supreme Court vacancies Bipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death Trump carries on with rally, unaware of Ginsburg's death MORE.

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“We’re also fighting for the soul of the Democratic Party, whether the Democratic Party remains dependent on Wall Street contributions or whether we move in the direction that our campaign has [fought for]” Sanders said on WABC Radio’s “Election Central with Rita Cosby,” adding that members of the Democratic establishment are “not enthusiastic about my candidacy and are certainly not overjoyed by the fact that we have now won 19 states and are poised to win even more.”

Sanders is looking ahead to primaries in the final eight states, including Oregon and Kentucky next week and contests in New Jersey and California on June 7. He said he hopes to earn the majority of remaining pledged delegates and sway superdelegates to his side, which he acknowledges is an “uphill climb.”



“New Jersey clearly is very important to us ... and we’re going to do everything we can to win the state,” Sanders said. “I believe it is an uphill climb, and I will not deny that for a moment. We have had to take on the entire Democratic establishment.”

Despite losing by double digits in West Virginia’s primary Tuesday night, Clinton has 94 percent of the delegates needed to clinch the nomination. She needs 144 more delegates to meet the 2,383-delegate threshold, according to The Associated Press.

Sanders can't reach 2,383 delegates without winning over more superdelegates, the party leaders who can vote for any candidate.

However, Sanders continues to say he will remain in the race until the Democratic National Convention in July.