Sanders thwarts Hillary, wins Washington and Alaska

London : Senator Bernie Sanders emerged victorious in Washington state and Alaska by defeating Hillary Clinton, who is still leading in the race for delegates to win the Democratic nomination for president.

Sanders defeated Clinton in Washington's caucuses 75 percent to 25 percent and 79 percent to 21 percent in Alaska, with about 38 percent and 72 percent of the states' precincts reporting, reports Guardian.

Sanders found a welcome tableau in the largely white and liberal electorates of the Pacific Northwest, where just days after routing Clinton in Idaho he repeated the feat in Washington.

Washington, with 101 delegates in play, was a vital state for Sanders, whose prospects of capturing the nomination dimmed after double-digit losses.

Hawaii Democrats also voted on Saturday, awarding 25 delegates through a "presidential preference poll," a hybrid event in which voters showed up at a scheduled meeting, like a caucus, but voted by secret ballot, like a primary.

The next nominating battle for both parties will be April 5 primaries in Wisconsin, followed by April 9 Democratic caucuses in Wyoming, another contest that plays to Sanders's strengths.

His victory in both Washington and Alaska was unexpected as both states have relatively low percentages of the black and Latino voters who have bolstered Clinton's campaign this year.

Clinton will have a chance to regain momentum and a wash of delegates when the Democratic primary moves to her adoptive home state New York on April 19.

The victories in Washington and Alaska , which awarded 16 delegates on Saturday, slightly narrow the gulf with Clinton in the quest for the 2,382 delegates needed to clinch the Democratic nomination.