Election 2016 update: Trump defeats Cruz, Sanders still in race

Post date: May 11, 2016 2:15:04 PM

By: Korey Alder, Photography Editor

Posted May 11th, 2016

Although the presidential primaries are not officially over, it is now possible to say with relative confidence that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee in 2016. It’s also highly likely that Hillary Clinton will be nominated for the Democrats, however Sanders still has a (very) small chance of garnering the required delegates.

Ted Cruz surprised many voters when he dropped out of the race last Tuesday, after a resounding loss in Indiana. He had hoped a win in the state could keep him going to a contested convention, but neither he nor John Kasich were able to gain enough votes. Trump received roughly 53% of the vote (compared to Cruz’s 37% and Kasich’s 7.5%) and took home all 57 delegates. After the loss, Cruz decided to drop out of the primaries, but assured his fans that he’s not dropping out of politics, saying, “Our movement will continue.” Kasich dropped out on Wednesday, soon after Cruz’s announcement, leaving Trump as the “presumptive nominee.”

Bernie Sanders did manage a win in Indiana, taking 44 of the 83 delegates available. The Democratic candidate needs 2,383 delegates to be ensure the nomination, and despite his Indiana win, Sanders is still far from reaching that number. Clinton currently sits at 2,228 delegates, while Sanders has accumulated 1,454, making it unlikely that he can get the nomination. He’s probably staying in the race to help spread his message and make his name known… to perhaps (as with Kasich and Cruz) run again in the future.

Meanwhile, Clinton and Trump have already begun their fight against each other, in attempts to unify the parties which they appear to now be leading. You might want to consider preparing yourself now, because it won’t be long before ever ad on TV is for a presidential candidate.