Democratic and Republican voters in New York will head to the polls on Tuesday to vote in the presidential primary. The contests may very well service as a turning point for both races. Here’s a look at what’s at stake for the candidates:
Republican Primary (95 Delegates)
For the Republicans, New York awards delegates using a hybrid system. Some delegates are awarded at a statewide level, and if you win more than 50% of the vote you get all of them. There are also three delegates up for grabs in each congressional district. If a candidate wins more than 50% of the vote in a congressional district, they get all three; otherwise, the top finisher gets two delegates and the second place candidate gets one.
Donald Trump leads in the most recent statewide polls, with more than 50% of the vote. Ted Cruz is in third, and it seems feasible that he may win no, or very few, delegates on Tuesday. John Kasich is in second; winning even a few delegates would be a boon to his campaign. Trump needs to clean up as many delegates as possible, because it is crucial to his campaign that he win the 1,237 delegates to secure the party’s nomination on the first ballot at the Republican convention in July.
Democratic Primary (247 Delegates)
Like all contests in the Democratic nominating process, delegates are awarded proportionally. Hillary Clinton is leading the polls by an average of 10%, but the gap has been narrowing. Bernie Sanders has staked his campaign on a strong performance in New York, but he would have to see quite a boost if he is going to win. A win for Clinton would make it even more likely that she can keep Sanders at bay and take the Democratic nomination.