Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton has been forced to add campaign events in California due to being "clearly concerned" about a potentially devastating loss to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.), NBC reported Tuesday.
"Hillary Clinton is making changes to her campaign schedule to deal with a surging Bernie Sanders in California this morning," Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie said.
While she is mathematically close to clinching the requisite delegates for the nomination, Sanders has refused to bow out quietly. Attacks from both him and GOP presumptive nominee Donald Trump have weakened her heading into the summer.
Both she and Trump are historically unpopular candidates heading into their potential general election matchup and are tightly matched in the polls.
"We are learning today that Secretary Clinton is upending her campaign schedule to add extra events in California a little bit later on this week," correspondent Kristen Welker said. "A sign that she is clearly concerned about losing this state and its 475 delegates that are up for grabs."
She will cancel an event in New Jersey, Welker reported, in order to get back to California sooner than initially planned for a five-day campaign swing.
She and Sanders are statistically tied in California, a state Clinton won in 2008 over Barack Obama.
"Here's the reality check," Welker said. "Secretary Clinton will likely win the nomination, whether or not she wins California ... But in this election cycle, a loss in the most populous state would give Sen. Sanders more leverage heading into the convention and over the party's platform, and it could also leave her looking bruised heading into what will undoubtedly be a brutal general election battle with Donald Trump."
Sanders is far behind Clinton with superdelegates, who he hinted Sunday are looking at Clinton's email scandal as a potential factor in their final decision on who to back at the convention.