Nicole Gaudiano

USA TODAY

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders declared victory in his home state's presidential primary on Tuesday, but the election tally turned against him from there, with rival Hillary Clinton claiming seven of 11 Super Tuesday states.

Sanders greeted a crowd of nearly 4,000 people roaring their approval after Vermont's results came in.

"It's good to be home," he said, his voice cracking.

Sanders, I-Vt. predicted winning "many hundreds of delegates" by the end of Super Tuesday.

"Our message is resonating and the people, when we stand together, will be victorious," he said.

But it quickly became clear he was in for a tough night against Clinton, who won nominating contests in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts,Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and American Samoa. Besides Vermont, Sanders won Colorado, Minnesota and Oklahoma.

Clinton's Super Tuesday victories gave her 597 pledged delegates to 406 for Sanders. Clinton also is far ahead of Sanders in superdelegates, elected officials and party leaders who are unpledged and can support the candidate of their choice. Of the 2,382 delegates needed to win the nomination, 865 were in play Tuesday.

Sanders reminded his supporters that Democrats award pledged delegates in proportion to the vote in each state. He said he'll battle Clinton for the nomination through the last contest in June.

The top question for Sanders was whether the thousands of supporters who turn out for his rallies also would turn out to vote. He was counting on heavy participation by working men and women, young people and voters who, until now, had given up on the political process.

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“I am confident that if there is a large voter turnout across this country, we are going to do well,” Sanders told reporters after casting his ballot in Burlington, Vt. “If there’s not, we’re probably going to be struggling. But I hope that there will be millions of people coming out and participating in what I call the ‘political revolution.’”

One challenge for Sanders is that much of his support comes from people who typically don't vote in large numbers. He blames low turnout for his 5-point loss in the Nevada caucus.

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In Vermont on Tuesday, Sanders was greeted by a crowd chanting “Bernie” and “Feel the Bern.”

“I hope all of us agree that we will not allow billionaires and their super PACs to destroy American democracy,” he said.

His ideas for Medicare-for-all and free tuition for public colleges and universities received loud approval.

“I know that Secretary Clinton and many of the establishment people think that I am looking and thinking too big,” he said. “I don’t think so.”

Since Saturday, Sanders has held rallies in Texas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Colorado and Massachusetts.

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A new CNN/ORC poll shows Sanders and Clinton would beat Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in the general election, but Sanders would win by more. Sanders also would beat Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in a general-election matchup, while Clinton would lose to both, the poll shows.

Sanders' campaign said Monday it raised more than $42 million in February, with more than 1.4 million contributions averaging $30 a piece.

“Not only are we going to smash Secretary Clinton’s personal goal of raising $50 million in the first quarter of 2016, our supporters are putting Bernie on the path to win the nomination,” said Jeff Weaver, Sanders’ campaign manager. “Our supporters are a firewall protecting Bernie from the Clinton campaign’s wealthiest donors and super PACs.”

Sanders won’t face the same financial problems of other campaigns that end because they lose support from "bundlers" who organize and collect donations, said Tad Devine, Sanders’ senior media advisor.

“The people who are investing in this campaign are doing so not because it’s a smart money calculation but because they believe in Bernie Sanders and his candidacy but also because they reject the system of campaign finance,” he said.

At the Vermont rally, Cara Simone, 52, an educator and administrator from Burlington, said she has never given so much to a presidential campaign. Her multiple donations ranged from $27 to $46, she said.

“He puts people first and he has been consistent with his message and his integrity for the last 30 years,” she said at the rally. “This grassroots moment is inspiring to many people. I’ve probably given $300, which is a lot for me.”

Sanders has struggled to make inroads with non-white voters, but his message of a rigged economy held in place by a corrupt campaign finance system has resonated with young people and white progressive voters. He has criticized Clinton for embracing super PACs and for contributions from Wall Street donors and other special interests.

At a Monday night rally in Milton, Mass., Seth Johnson, 25, of Brighton, Mass., highlighted the need for campaign finance reform among his top reasons for supporting Sanders.

"A lot of the issues that people are concerned about aren't going to start getting fixed until we get money out of politics," said Johnson, who works for the Army Reserve and serves as a reservist.

Sanders’ wife, Jane, speaking to reporters traveling with the campaign late Monday night, predicted her husband will split the Super Tuesday contests with Clinton. She acknowledged that people in the South — states voting Tuesday include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas — aren’t as familiar with Sanders' message. But she said he still has time to make his case in post-Super Tuesday states.

Asked whether Sanders might consider dropping his presidential bid at some point, Jane Sanders said he won’t let down his supporters. She also said the election shouldn't be determined by the Super Tuesday states and the other four that have held primaries and caucuses since Feb. 1.

“As he says all the time, it’s not about Bernie, it’s about the issues,” she said. “No matter what happens with this presidential race, after the convention, those issues and Bernie, they’re not going away.”

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