Sanders wins primary in W. Virginia, still far behind Clinton

Voters fill in their ballots at a polling station in Manhattan, New York, the United States, April 19, 2016. New Yorkers lined up to vote on Tuesday in crucial presiential primaries in a state where both Democratic hopefuls, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, and Republican front-runner Donald Trump have roots. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

WASHINGTON, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders was declared winner in a primary in West Virginia in a tight race with the party's front-runner Hillary Clinton, according to TV projections.

"Every vote we earn and every delegate we secure sends an unmistakable message about the values we share, the country's support for the ideas of our campaign, and a rejection of (Republican contender) Donald Trump and his values," said the Sanders campaign team.

However, the results will probably matter little to the Democratic race. Before Tuesday's results, Clinton was just 155 delegates short of the 2,383 needed for the Democratic nomination while Sanders needed 929 more. West Virginia has 37 Democratic delegates, most of which will be awarded proportionately.

Earlier on Tuesday, Vice President Joe Biden told ABC News that he believes Clinton will ultimately become the Democratic nominee, though Sanders has vowed to fight through the final contests in June, if not the Democratic national convention in July.

On the Republican side, Trump, with no remaining rivals, was projected to win the party's primaries in West Virginia and Nebraska as expected, multi TV networks reported Tuesday.

Trump's forthcoming victory would bring the New York billionaire and reality show star ever closer to the 1,237 delegates needed for Republican nomination.

The Republican primary season effectively ended last week when Trump won a crucial victory in Indiana, kicking out of race his last two challengers -- Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich.