Hillary Clinton rallies Delaware crowd ahead of primary

WILMINGTON, Del. — Hillary Clinton took her case directly to Delawareans Monday.

The former secretary of State rallied a crowd of at least 700 at World Cafe Live at the Queen in downtown Wilmington, a day ahead of the Delaware primary, which for the first time in recent memory could play a pivotal role in who advances to the general election. The appearance, announced late Friday, was one of several visits by candidates and their surrogates in the week leading up to the contest. Candidates are jockeying for support from every delegate in a tight election battle.

"If you will go out and vote for me tomorrow, I will stand up and fight for you through this campaign and all the way to the White House," Clinton told the crowd. She received several ovations throughout her speech.

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Her appearance was a show of force among the state's political leadership, with Gov. Jack Markell, U.S. Rep. John Carney, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper and U.S. Sen. Chris Coons appearing on stage. All four, who are influential superdelegates, have pledged to vote for Clinton.

"There is nothing that faces our country in this dangerous, difficult and divided world that will surprise her," Coons said before Clinton spoke. "This is a woman fully capable of being one of the greatest American presidents starting from her first day."

Clinton supporters lined up before 8 a.m. ET Monday for the event, scheduled for 11:15 a.m.

Anjenette Payne drove from Havre de Grace, Md., to be one of the first in line. By 9 a.m., the line had grown from a few diehards to almost a block long.

Payne said she regrets the divisions that have arisen in the U.S. during recent years and believes Clinton can bring together a broad coalition of people in her administration if she becomes president. She said Clinton challenger U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is wrong for the country.

"You can attack Wall Street, but is that going to hurt our 401(k) and retirement," she said. "I just don't think you should come out and be strong about one point."

Sanders has been critical of Clinton being paid to give speeches to Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street firms.

Before Clinton's entrance at about 12:30 p.m., chants of "Hillary, Hillary" erupted sporadically among the roughly 700 attendees who filled the mostly standing-room hall.

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Clinton rattled off a lengthy list of domestic policies she would pursue as president: Equal pay for women, raising the federal minimum wage, preserving the Affordable Care Act, expanding job training programs, "becoming the green energy superpower," defending Planned Parenthood and same-sex marriages, reforming immigration laws, tightening gun laws and reversing the Citizen's United decision allowing corporate donations to political causes.

She also expressed sadness over the death of Howard High School of Technology student Amy Inita Joyner-Francis who died during a fight in the Wilmington's school restroom Thursday.

"We can't let this go on," she said, referencing violence among youth.

Clinton seldom referenced Sanders, instead focusing her attention on Republicans, particularly front-runner Donald Trump.

"Come out of those towers named for yourself and actually talk to people," Clinton said of Trump. "If you want to be president of the United States, you've actually got to be familiar with the United States."

Clinton said her foreign policy experience dwarfs that of the GOP candidates and was critical of plans by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas for tighter policing of Muslim neighborhoods and by Trump to ban Muslims from entering the country.

"I listen to what Trump and Cruz say, and a lot of what they say is not just offensive, it's dangerous," she said.

Trump also attracted thousands of supporters to a rally at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington on Friday. On the GOP side, the winner of the Tuesday primary will get Delaware's 16 delegates on the first ballot at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

In previous years, candidates largely skipped Delaware in favor of larger states. An exception was eight years ago, when when then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama held a rally in Rodney Square attended by an estimated 10,000 people for his presidential campaign.

Last week, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, co-founders of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, campaigned in Wilmington on behalf of Sanders, who held a rally attended by an estimated 3,000 at The Chase Center on the Riverfront on Saturday. Actress Rosario Dawson addressed Sanders' rally and spoke to supporters in the local campaign office on Sunday.

Former president Bill Clinton also was in New Castle County on Sunday, stumping for his wife in a surprise visit to the Hollywood Grill on Concord Pike in Fairfax.

A poll released last week by Gravis Marketing showed Clinton with 45% support, with Sanders getting 38%. With no presumptive nominee in the race, Clinton is seeking to clinch the nomination over Sanders Tuesday, when Delaware is one of five states holding primaries.

A total of 384 delegates are up for grabs in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island on Tuesday.

Nationally, Hillary Clinton's delegate and superdelegate lead stands at 1,941 to 1,191, according to a count by the Associated Press. That puts her at 81% of the 2,383 delegates needed to win the nomination.

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Delaware will award 21 pledged delegates proportionally to Democratic candidates. Delaware also has 10 superdelegates, and half have already committed to Clinton for their party convention in Philadelphia. Vice President Joe Biden is one of the superdelegates who has not publicly declared who he supports.

Polls are open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. at the state's 313 precincts Tuesday, and only registered voters from participating parties may vote.

Hillary Clinton on Monday said the president needs to be able to "find common ground" and cited her work building the Children's Health Insurance Program and diplomatic efforts as secretary of state as evidence she can build coalitions.

"I've worked across the aisle in every position I've ever had," Clinton said. "I will go anywhere, anytime to meet with anyone to find common ground."

Markell called her "the most qualified candidate for president in my lifetime."

"Big ideas are important ... but big ideas aren't enough," Carney said. "We need a president who knows how to take big ideas and make them a reality."

Carol Townsend, a retiree from Wilmington, on Monday said she is a "1,000%" supporter of Clinton. She went to high school in suburban Chicago at the same time as Clinton, she said.

Townsend said Clinton will be a great president.

"She's always been a strong woman and I've always followed her because of that," she said. "I strive to be like her."

Follow Matthew Albright and Karl Baker on Twitter: @TNJ_Malbright and @kbaker6