The 2016 Blast The latest POLITICO scoops and coverage of the 2016 elections. Email Sign Up

Tweets from https://twitter.com/politico/lists/team-politico



In a general election between herself and one of the two leading Republican presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton said she's confident that Bernie Sanders' young supporters will united behind her. | Getty Clinton: Sanders' young supporters will unite behind me

Just as her supporters coalesced behind Barack Obama after she exited the race in 2008, Hillary Clinton expressed optimism Thursday that backers of Bernie Sanders would do the same this year if the choice is between her and either Donald Trump or Ted Cruz.

During a discussion on ABC's "Good Morning America," Clinton was asked by uncommitted superdelegate Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) how she would keep younger voters, particularly those who have enthusiastically supported Sanders and opposed her during the primary process, in her column in November.

“I think I’ll make the case, and from everything I’ve seen—both personal conversations and research that has been done, just as it was with me when I dropped out, you know, the vast majority of Sen. Sanders’ young supporters will look at the choice," Clinton said.

She continued, noting that she has acknowledged as much to Sanders' supporters, "The choice will be pretty stark if either of the two leading Republican candidates become the nominee, and I’m confident that we’ll all join together.”

If numbers from New York and elsewhere are any indication, however, the former secretary of state would appear to have her work cut out for her. Even as Clinton racked up a double-digit victory in her adopted home state on Tuesday night, voters between the ages of 18 and 29 preferred Sanders 65 percent to 35 percent in Tuesday's primary.

Overall, fewer than three in 10 voters under the age of 30 have supported Clinton over Sanders in the 22 states that have entrance or exit polls, according to a POLITICO analysis of the data.