“With your help we’re going to win the primary here on April 19, and then we’re gonna win the Democratic nomination and the election in November,” Hillary Clinton said during a rally at the Apollo Theater in New York. | AP Photo Clinton stomps on her rivals as she makes appeal to New York voters

Hillary Clinton played up her ties to New York on Wednesday as she rhetorically stomped over her rivals and predicted a victory in the state’s primary, the Democratic primary and the general election.

“With your help, we’re going to win the primary here on April 19, and then we’re gonna win the Democratic nomination and the election in November,” Clinton said during a rally at the Apollo Theater in New York.


Returning to the state she represented in the Senate for eight years, Clinton name-checked some of her local allies and shared a series of personal stories, such as the recovery following the 9/11 attack and working with Congress to get first responders health care.

The former secretary of state boasted about having received more votes than her primary opponent, Bernie Sanders, and Republican front-runner Donald Trump. But she also maintained that, in this election especially, she isn’t taking anything for granted.

“When any candidate comes before you, that candidate owes it to you to be clear about how we’re actually going to deliver,” Clinton said, adding that she and Sanders share many goals. “But some of his ideas for how to get there won’t pass; others just won’t work because the numbers don’t add up. And that means people aren’t gonna get the help that they need and deserve, and that’s what this is supposed to be about.”

Sanders says leaders aren’t thinking big enough, Clinton said. “Well, this is New York. Nobody dreams bigger than we do,” she said. “But this is a city that likes to get things done, and that’s what we want from our president, too.”

The Vermont senator, who has won five of the last six voting contests, has staked his campaign on a message railing against wealth inequality. But, while Clinton has focused on a broader platform of breaking down barriers, she charged that on this subject “I take a backseat to no one.”

“I know how important it is to close that gap, to rebuild the middle class, but I’ll tell you this,” she added. “It’s also important to take on racial inequality and discrimination in all of its forms. And it’s important to stand up to the gun lobby and fight for common-sense gun safety.”

Clinton warned supporters that New York isn’t just voting for presidential nominees on April 19, they’re also voting for a commander-in-chief at time when national security should be a key focus.

“On the Republican side, what we’re hearing is truly scary,” Clinton said, citing Trump’s comments in favor of torture techniques as well as his statements on allowing other nations to obtain nuclear weapons. “That doesn’t make them sound strong. It makes them sound in over their heads. You know, loose cannons tend to misfire, and in a dangerous world that’s not a gamble we can afford.”

Clinton accused the Republican presidential candidates of running divisive campaigns but said New Yorkers know better. Diversity is a strength of the state, she said, and the state represents the best of America.

“We’re gonna stand up for the values that make New York and make America great,” Clinton said, altering Trump’s ubiquitous campaign slogan. “Don’t ever forget. This is the greatest country on earth, and we’re gonna fight for it, fight for our future.”