Baltimore supporters canvas for Bernie Sanders ahead of the Maryland primary election. (Getty)
The 2016 primary elections are coming down to the wire. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton needs a few big wins to finally put away challenger Bernie Sanders, who’s vowed not to concede if he can keep the fight up until the convention. Meanwhile, for the Republicans, Donald Trump has closed off conventional paths to the nomination for Ted Cruz and John Kasich, but still faces a long road to a win of his own. This brings us to today’s slate of primaries.
The April 26 primaries consist of Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. While the delegate counts from those states differ substantially between parties, Maryland and Pennsylvania are the big prizes for all candidates today. Here’s a look at what’s up for grabs today:
Pennsylvania Primary
Republicans
71 Republican delegates are technically available in today’s Republican contest in Pennsylvania. However, much like Democratic superdelegates, 54 are not bound to the district or state winner, even on the first convention ballot. The remaining 17 are given in winner-take-all fashion to the candidate with the statewide plurality, which the latest polls suggest is going to be Trump.
Democrats
Pennsylvania holds 189 delegates that are up for grabs in voting, plus 21 superdelegates who are not required to support a candidate until the election. Like all Democratic contests, the pledged delegates will be awarded proportionally to the statewide voting percentages. Recent polls suggest a roughly 189-86 delegate split in favor of Clinton.
Maryland Primary
Republicans
38 delegates will be voted on in Maryland today. Maryland’s primary operates under a winner-take-most distribution. 14 of the state’s 38 delegates are distributed to the statewide plurality holder, with the other 24 going to the winners of each of the state’s eight congressional districts. Trump’s sizable polling lead suggests he’ll walk away with the lion’s share of Maryland delegates.
Democrats
95 Democratic delegates will be allocated in Maryland today, plus another 23 superdelegates. Like all Democratic contests, the pledged delegates will be awarded proportionally to the statewide voting percentages. Recent polls suggest a roughly 189-86 delegate split in favor of Clinton. If recent polls are correct, you can expect a margin in the neighborhood of 54 to 41 in Clinton’s favor.
Connecticut Primary
Republicans
Connecticut Republicans will decide who gets 28 delegates at the primary today. Connecticut’s primary rules might be working against Cruz and in Trump’s favor due to various “thresholds” the two candidates will and won’t clear if the polls hold out. A candidate needs at least 20 percent of the vote to qualify for any of the 13 statewide delegates; meanwhile, the statewide winner can take all 13 of those delegates with a 50% share of the statewide popular vote. Connecticut’s polling trends suggest that Cruz will not qualify for statewide delegates, and that Trump’s vote share will deny Kasich statewide delegates he would have otherwise earned.
Democrats
Connecticut holds 55 unpledged Democratic delegates, plus another 15 superdelegates. Like all Democratic contests, the pledged delegates will be awarded proportionally to the statewide voting percentages. While Clinton is winning, the numbers are currently a little too close for a delegate projection.
Rhode Island Primary
Republicans
Rhode Island has 19 delegates up for grabs. Like the Democratic contests, the Rhode Island system is proportional, with delegates split up according to percentages in the statewide voting contests. Limited polling suggests it’s Trump’s state to lose.
Democrats
Sanders and Clinton are competing for 24 delegates, with nine superdelegates coming from the state. Like all Democratic contests, the pledged delegates will be awarded proportionally to the statewide voting percentages. The available polling is a small, widely varied sample.
Delaware Primary
Republicans
16 Republican delegates call Delaware home. All of them will be bound to the statewide plurality vote-getter. The single recent poll suggests that’s Trump, with a 55 percent share of the Delaware popular vote.
Democrats
The Democrats have 21 delegates up for grabs in Delaware, plus 10 superdelegates. Like all Democratic contests, the pledged delegates will be awarded proportionally to the statewide voting percentages. Clinton is winning the single recent poll from the state.
