Washington, May 24 (RHC)-- U.S. Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has declined to debate rival Bernie Sanders, ahead of the state's delegate-rich June 7 primary.

Clinton's communications director, Jennifer Palmieri, told reporters that Hillary's time "is best spent campaigning and meeting directly with voters across California."

The senator from Vermont had been pushing the former secretary of state to debate before the primary in California, which offers 475 pledged Democratic delegates.  Hours later, speaking at a rally in Santa Monica, California, Bernie Sanders blasted Clinton for rejecting the debate, saying it's "insulting" to California voters.

In a recent interview, Hillary Clinton declared that she will be the nominee of the Democratic Party in the November election, but did not directly call on Sanders to drop out.  Sanders says that one of the reasons he is staying in the race for the White House is because he does not want Americans to vote "for the lesser of two evils," in an apparent reference to Clinton.