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Clinton to campaign exclusively in California until June 7 primary

By Eric DuVall
Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton speaks at an event in Florida on May 21. On Tuesday, her campaign announced she would spend the remainder of the time until the June 7 primary campaigning in California. Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI
Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton speaks at an event in Florida on May 21. On Tuesday, her campaign announced she would spend the remainder of the time until the June 7 primary campaigning in California. Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI | License Photo

SACRAMENTO, May 31 (UPI) -- Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has altered her campaign schedule for the next week, saying she will campaign exclusively in California, the largest of six states voting June 7.

Clinton scrapped events planned for Thursday in New Jersey, where polls show her with a big lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Polls in the Golden State have shown a tightening race over the last two weeks, though most surveys still show Clinton with a slight lead there.

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Clinton spent Memorial Day in her adopted hometown, Chappaqua, N.Y., where she marched in a local Memorial Day parade and greeted supporters. She then headed to New Jersey on Tuesday morning, as scheduled. But the campaign has said planned appearances there later in the week will be put off in favor of campaigning in California, the nation's largest state.

The June 7 primary poses a unique challenge for the candidates. While most of the multi-state primaries since Super Tuesday have been regional affairs, this group of states consists of the leftovers -- stuck together because they didn't fit anywhere else: North and South Dakota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and California.

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There are states in three of four time zones in play, making travel between them time-consuming and expensive.

The other problem is advertising money. California is a state with multiple large, expensive media markets. Both candidates are pouring money into advertising in a push to win, but neither has appeared able or willing to pour in the resources needed to truly blanket the airwaves as in previous, smaller states. That means the difference could be made in the amount of free media they earn by generating news coverage of campaign events.

Clinton has also been aided by a high-profile endorsement from California Gov. Jerry Brown, who announced his support Tuesday morning.

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