CHARLESTON: Democrat Bernie Sanders today squarely defeated Hillary Clinton in West Virginia, in a reminder to the frontrunner that she was yet to wrap up her own presidential nomination before taking on Republican Donald Trump, who cruised to victory in two more states.

The 74-year-old Vermont Senator, Sanders, easily won the primary in West Virginia by more than 15 percentage points but acknowledged that he has an uphill climb in terms of becoming the party's nominee.

Sanders' win is unlikely to prevent the 68-year-old former secretary of state from emerging as the presumptive Democratic nominee - given that she has a massive lead over him in the delegates count, but at the same time ensuring that Clinton's ticket for the race to the White House is not a cake walk.

Sanders has won 19 states to Clinton's 23, but she is 94 per cent through the way to winning the nomination - just 144 delegates short of the 2,383 required.

As a consolation, Clinton won the Nebraska primary, but she is not getting any delegate from it. The delegates were allocated in the March 5 primary, which was won by Sanders. Clinton received 10 delegates as against Sanders' 15.

Addressing a rally in Salem, Oregon - where the primary is scheduled for next Tuesday - after the victory, Sanders said: "We now have won primaries and caucuses in 19 states. Let me be as clear as I can be. We are in this campaign to win the Democratic nomination."

He said he would continue his fight till the end of the primary season.

Sanders said the country should not elect Trump while also hinting that he would seek to unite the party in a general election if he fails to win the nomination.

"Our message to the Democratic delegates who will be assembling in Philadelphia is, while we may have many disagreements with Secretary Clinton, there is one area (where) we agree. And that is, we must defeat Donald Trump.

"And after all the votes are cast and counted and this contest moves to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, the delegates will decide which candidate is the strongest nominee to take on Donald Trump in November. All of the evidence indicates that I am that candidate," he said.

In the Republican camp, the sole candidate Trump won both the primaries in West Virginia and Nebraska taking his total delegate count to 1,107.

Trump now needs just 130 delegates to officially become the presidential nominee of the party in July.

After the win, the 69-year-old real estate tycoon tweeted: "Thank you West Virginia!" and "Thank you Nebraska!"

"It is a great honour to have won both West Virginia and Nebraska, especially by such massive margins. My time spent in both states was a wonderful and enlightening experience for me," Trump said in a statement.

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