If Donald Trump loses the Republican primary in Wisconsin on Tuesday he runs the risk of losing his perch as frontrunner, and eventually the nomination.
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Cruz’s win was a breakthrough for Republican Party forces battling to block the controversial NY billionaire, and it raised the prospect of a prolonged nominating fight that could last to the July convention.
Trump did less well in Wisconsin among groups of voters who have been his core supporters in previous primaries.
The ABC exit poll also found six in 10 voters were “excited” or “optimistic” about Cruz becoming president, while a little more than four in 10 felt the same about Trump. Sanders got the job done, which is why he is still alive and well in the race for the Democratic nomination.
Heading into Wisconsin, Clinton had 1,243 delegates to Sanders’ 980 based on primaries and caucuses. Trump may still get some delegates from Wisconsin, however, the state awards some delegates by congressional districts, and Trump was leading in rural districts in Wisconsin’s northwest, according to Washington Post.
As recently as a month ago, when Senator Marco Rubio was also still a candidate, Cruz trailed Trump by about 20 points. But Wisconsin’s Republican primary is an open primary, a category of voters with whom Trump has done well in previous contests.
Cruz’s campaign was unfazed by the statement and its allegations, including that Cruz has been illegally working with super PACs that support him.
Still, Trump made a spirited final push in the state and predicted a “really, really big victory”. “If we don’t win here, it’s not over”. A majority of GOP voters said they’re either concerned about or scared of a potential Trump presidency, according to surveys conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks.
With Wisconsin results included, Trump leads with 740 delegates to Cruz’s 508, while John Kasich has 143.
In a sign of Mrs Clinton’s low expectations in the Midwestern state, she spent Tuesday night at a fundraiser with top donors in New York City, which will hold its critical primary on April 19.
Earlier this week, Trump called on Kasich to drop out of race, claiming the OH governor has taken away votes from Trump.
But they will go a long way in determining the next chapter of the campaign. So far, Mr Trump has won 48% of the delegates awarded. Self-described Democrats split about evenly between the two candidates, while about 7 in 10 independents voted for Sanders.
Paul Lorentz, was in line at 6:30 a.m.in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, on Tuesday to cast his vote for Kasich.
On the other hand, if Cruz wins, it’s a strong indication the Republican establishment has found their candidate.
Sanders would need to win 67 percent of the remaining delegates and uncommitted superdelegates to catch up to Clinton.
When including superdelegates, or party officials who can back any candidate, Clinton’s lead is 1,743 to Sanders’ 1,056.
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A defeat in Wisconsin, which has 42 delegates, could make it extremely hard for him to reach the threshold, leaving him short for the nomination.
