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Clinton turns down California debate with Sanders

By Eric DuVall
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton delivers the keynote address at the Circle of Mothers Conference in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. She has declined an invitation to debate her opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders, in California this month. Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI
1 of 2 | Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton delivers the keynote address at the Circle of Mothers Conference in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. She has declined an invitation to debate her opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders, in California this month. Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI | License Photo

SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 24 (UPI) -- Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has declined an invitation to a seventh debate, a decision her opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders labeled "insulting" to Californians who vote June 7.

The debate, proposed by Fox News, would have allowed Clinton to make good on an agreement with Sanders to hold a debate in May, the last encounter in the string of debates sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee and held in cooperation with various cable news networks.

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Clinton's campaign has increasingly sought to turn its focus to the general election, though a spokeswoman said the candidate remains focused on winning in California next month.

"We have declined Fox News' invitation to participate in a debate in California," Clinton campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri said in a statement. "As we have said previously, we plan to compete hard in the remaining primary states, particularly California, while turning our attention to the threat a Donald Trump presidency poses. We believe that Hillary Clinton's time is best spent campaigning and meeting directly with voters across California and preparing for a general election campaign that will ensure the White House remains in Democratic hands."

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Clinton maintains a strong lead in the count of pledged delegates to earn the nomination, and when factoring in super delegates who are free to support any candidate and have publicly endorsed Clinton she needs fewer than 100 to cross the finish line.

There are 475 delegates at stake in California, with another five states voting that day as well.

Sanders said Clinton's decision to pass on a California debate was an insult to voters in the nation's largest state, which has rarely proven competitive in a Democratic primary.

"A number of months ago our campaign and her campaign reached an agreement on a number of debates, including one here in California," Sanders told a crowd in Santa Monica, Calif.

Sanders said it was "insulting to the people of California -- our largest state -- that she is not prepared to have a discussion with me about how we address the major crises we face."

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