7 June primaries as it happened: Trump sweeps, Clinton nabs early lead in California & Sanders stays in

That's a wrap for our live coverage of tonight's primaries. Republican Donald Trump took home five wins, adding to his delegate count. On the Democratic side, frontrunner Hillary Clinton won in three states and is enjoying an early lead in the biggest state of the night: California. Meanwhile, rival Bernie Sanders took home two victories and vowed to remain in the race until the Democratic National Convention in July.

Sanders grabs a second win tonight, this time in Montana. With 78% reporting, Sanders' leads 50.5% to Clinton's 45.1%.

In a speech delivered to supporters in Santa Monica, Sanders has vowed to remain in the race until the party convention in July.

Next Tuesday, we continue the fight. ... We are going to fight hard to win the primary in Washington DC. And then we take our fight for social, economic, racial and environmental justice to Philadelphia."

A new report by POLITICO reveals the chaos reigning in Sanders' campaign.

There are many divisions within the Sanders campaign—between the dead-enders and the work-it-out crowds, between the younger aides who think he got off message while the consultants got rich and obsessed with Beltway-style superdelegate math, and between the more experienced staffers who think the kids got way too high on their sense of the difference between a movement and an actual campaign.

But more than any of them, Sanders is himself filled with resentment, on edge, feeling like he gets no respect -- all while holding on in his head to the enticing but remote chance that Clinton may be indicted before the convention.

The report looks at the division among Sanders' key staffers, particularly after the loss in Nevada.

Take the combative statement after the Nevada showdown.

"I don't know who advised him that this was the right route to take, but we are now actively destroying what Bernie worked so hard to build over the last year just to pick up two fucking delegates in a state he lost," rapid response director Mike Casca complained to Weaver in an internal campaign email obtained by POLITICO.

"Thank you for your views. I'll relay them to the senator, as he is driving this train," Weaver wrote back.

According to POLITICO, Sanders is indeed prepared to keep fighting until the Democratic National Convention in July. He's also ready to make some hefty demands of Clinton and the DNC.

Read the full story here.

What's happened so far:

• Presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump swept all five states to further solidify his claim on the party's nomination.
• Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton has won three states: New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota. She also leads in California.
• Rival Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders has won in one state: North Dakota. The Vermont senator leads in Montana.
• The White House revealed President Obama called both Clinton and Sanders to congratulate them on their campaigns. Sanders and the president are set to meet on Thursday (9 June).
• Reports indicate Sanders will lay off at least half of his campaign staff. The move could signify Sanders' decision to drop out of the race.

The New York Daily News has decided to go with a more positive, Clinton-friendly front page.

The White House has announced President Obama called both Senator Sanders and Secretary Clinton tonight. A statement by the press secretary reveals:

Tonight, President Obama called both Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders. The President congratulated both candidates for running inspiring campaigns that have energized Democrats, brought a new generation of Americans into the political process, and shined a spotlight on important policy ideas aimed at making sure our economy and our politics work for everybody, not just those with wealth and power.

The President congratulated Secretary Clinton for securing the delegates necessary to clinch the Democratic Nomination for President. Her historic campaign inspired millions and is an extension of her lifelong fight for middle-class families and children.

The President thanked Senator Sanders for energizing millions of Americans with his commitment to issues like fighting economic inequality and special interests' influence on our politics.

In addition, at Senator Sanders' request, the President and Senator Sanders will meet at the White House on Thursday to continue their conversation about the significant issues at stake in this election that matter most to America's working families. The President looks forward to continuing the conversation with Senator Sanders about how to build on the extraordinary work he has done to engage millions of Democratic voters, and to build on the enthusiasm in the weeks and months ahead.

Clinton claims her third victory of the night as the AP proclaims her the victor of the South Dakota primary. With 98% reporting, Clinton is ahead 51.2% to Sanders' 48.8%.

As expected, Trump has managed a five state sweep tonight. Less than half an hour after the polls closed in California, the AP called the race for the billionaire real estate mogul.

Clinton grabs her second win of the night, this time in New Mexico. With 73% reporting, Clinton leads with 53% to Sanders' 47%.

We're just minutes away from polls closing in California. The state offers the biggest prize of the night for Democrats: 475 pledged delegates. Pre-primary polls show Clinton and Sanders neck and neck. As the state allocates delegates on a proportional system, the two candidates could split the delegates nearly evenly.

Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit to be president.

- Hillary Clinton at celebratory rally in Brooklyn, NY

Trump can now add Montana to the list of wins tonight. The AP has called the race for the presumptive GOP nominee.

Hillary Clinton steps up to the podium at a massive Brooklyn campaign rally with thousands of supporters that looks like the official kick off of the general election.

"Thanks to you we've reached a milestone. For the first time in our nation's history a woman will be a major party's nominee for president," says Clinton.

"Tonight's victory is not about one person; it belongs to generations."

It appears to be the beginning of the end of Sanders' campaign. The Vermont senator will reportedly lay off at least half of his staff on Wednesday (8 June). The New York Times reports:

Many of those being laid off are advance staff members who often help with campaign logistics, as well as field staff members who have been working to garner votes for the senator, according to both a campaign official and a former campaign staff member, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity. Some campaign workers may move into jobs at Mr. Sanders's Senate office, but others will be terminated, they said.

Some major US newspapers have released previews of tomorrow's front pages.

We're minutes away from polls closing in Montana. California—the biggest prize of the night—will close polls an hour later.

Clinton is now claiming victory in the race for the Democratic nomination. In an email to supporters the Clinton campaign says:

After all our hard work and tough fights -- and an unwavering commitment to love, kindness, our country, and each other -- we broke one of the highest, hardest glass ceilings in America.

Together, we secured the Democratic nomination. For the first time ever, a woman will be a major party's nominee to become President of the United States.

She also takes a swipe at presumptive GOP nominee Trump:

We cannot let a man who demeans women, attacks people for their race or religion, and traffics in paranoid conspiracy theories take the Oath of Office.

We won't let a man who said he'll order our troops to commit war crimes by killing the wives and children of suspected terrorists become Commander-in-Chief.

Sanders nabs at least one win tonight, in North Dakota. The Peace Garden State is the only state to caucus tonight. With 60% reporting (213 votes), Sanders overwhelmingly won with 64.3% of the vote against Clinton's 26.4%.

The AP has called another race for Trump, this time in New Mexico.

During his speech tonight, Trump calls on all the Sanders' supporters "left out in the cold by a rigged superdelegate system: We welcome you with open arms."

He adds:

Some people say I'm too much of a fighter. My preference is always peace, however. And I've shown that. I've shown that for a long time...

My goal is always again to bring people together. But if I'm forced to fight for something I really care about, I will never ever back down.

It should be noted that unlike past speeches, Trump is reading his remarks off of a teleprompter. Trump's uses the air time to announce an anti-Clinton speech for next week.

The AP has also called the Republican race in South Dakota for Trump. He leads by more than a 50 point margin against former rivals John Kasich and Ted Cruz.

The AP has called the Democratic race in New Jersey for Clinton. With 20.9% reporting, Clinton leads 58.7% to 41.3%.

Polls have officially closed in New Mexico and South Dakota.

Trump may enjoy receiving endorsements, but some congressional candidates may be wary of getting any from the presumptive GOP nominee.

Congresswoman Renee Ellmers of North Carolina—who had been endorsed by Trump—lost her primary to fellow incumbent George Holding. Ellmers had been one of the first members of Congress to support Trump and he returned the favour. In fact, Ellmers is the only congressional member to get his endorsement. The North Carolina lawmaker is the first GOP incumbent to lose in 2016.

The GOP race in New Jersey has been called for the sole remaining candidate: Donald Trump.

Sanders' campaign has indicated the Vermont senator will "intensify" his outreach to superdelegates following the California primary.

"We've been using a surrogate operation up until now in terms of reaching out to superdelegates," campaign manager Jeff Weaver said to MSNBC. "Once we get past this part of the process, where people are done voting in California and other states, then we'll intensify the outreach to the superdelegates.

Weaver added: "I think a lot of superdelegates really, frankly, want to see how the primaries and caucuses turn out. I think you'll see a lot more intense communication going on in the coming weeks."

h/t The Hill

Polls are set to close in New Jersey in just a few minutes. Pre-primary polling showed Clinton with a healthy lead against Sanders in the Garden State. Stay tuned for live results after voting ends.

Clinton is expected to debut a new video celebrating the achievements of women during her victory speech tonight. If Clinton is nominated by the Democratic Party in July, she will be the first woman to do so for either of the major parties in the US.

h/t The Guardian

We are less than an hour away before some states will begin closing down polls. As a refresher, here's a breakdown of the delegates at stake in each state.

• California: 475 Democrats & 172 Republicans
• Montana: 21 Democrats & 27 Republicans
• New Jersey: 126 Democrats & 51 Republicans
• New Mexico: 34 Democrats & 24 Republicans
• North Dakota: 18 Democrats
• South Dakota: 20 Democrats & 29 Republicans

Former GOP presidential candidate, Jeb Bush, is the latest Republican to slam Trump on his comments regarding a US federal judge. However, Trump has attempted, in part, to retract his remarks against Judge Gonzalo Curiel, saying they were "misconstrued".

Presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump is having a hard time uniting the party behind him, with some of his recent comments possibly costing him the support he already has. Republican Senator Mark Kirk, of Illinois, has officially un-endorsed Trump after the bombastic billionaire doubled down on his remarks against US District Court Judge Gonzalo Curie, who is overseeing the lawsuits against Trump University.

In a statement, Kirk said:

As the Presidential campaign progressed, I was hoping the rhetoric would tone down and reflect a campaign that was inclusive, thoughtful and principled. While I oppose the Democratic nominee, Donald Trump's latest statements, in context with past attacks on Hispanics, women and the disabled like me, make it certain that I cannot and will not support my party's nominee for President regardless of the political impact on my candidacy or the Republican Party.

Kirk later took to Twitter to really drive home his lack of support for Trump.

h/t CBS Chicago

Clinton may be on her way to becoming the first woman to be nominated by a major US party, but it seems her rival still enjoys more favourable opinion than her among Democratic voters. A Gallup report, released yesterday (7 June) revealed Sanders' favourable rating is ahead of Clinton's by 13 points, 52% to 39%. It remains to be seen if it will help him out in the final round of primaries this month.

h/t Gallup

Yesterday (6 June) saw a turn of fortune in Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton's favour. The Associated Press announced that the former secretary of state had reached the necessary number of delegates to clinch the party nomination.

However, both Clinton and her opponent Bernie Sanders brushed off the reports. Clinton urged voters in today's primary states to go out and vote, while Sanders insisted Clinton has not won the race until superdelegates officially vote in July.

Welcome to IBTimes UK's live coverage of tonight's round of primary races and caucuses. Voters in six states will be able to vote for their party's nominee. Here's a brief breakdown of start and end times for the ongoing races:

• California: Open 7am PDT/3pm BST & close 8pm PDT/4am BST
• Montana: Open 7am MDT/2pm BST & close 8pm MDT/3am BST
• New Jersey: Open 6am EDT/11am BST & close 8pm EDT/1am BST
• New Mexico: Open 7am MDT/2pm BST & close 7pm MDT/2am BST
• North Dakota: Caucus held at 7pm CDT/1am BST
• South Dakota: Open 7am MDT/2pm BST & close 7pm MDT/2am BST