WASHINGTON — Here are some news briefs from Tuesday’s primaries:
ILL TRADE WINDS
More than half of Democratic and Republican voters in Michigan, along with Republicans in Mississippi, said trade takes away jobs, according to surveys of voters after they cast ballots. In Mississippi, Democratic primary voters were more closely divided, with 4 in 10 saying it takes away jobs and nearly as many thinking it has a positive impact.
Exit polling also found Democrat Hillary Clinton in Mississippi was supported over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders by 9 in 10 black voters, who accounted for nearly two-thirds of Democratic primary voters in the state.
That was yet another stark example of Sanders struggling with black voters.
And Michigan, like previous races, pointed to an age divide for Democrats, with Clinton prevailing with people 45 and older and Sanders leading among those younger than 45.
THE BATTLES FOR DELEGATES
Going into Tuesday’s contests, Clinton was 58 delegates short of halfway to the 2,383 delegates needed to claim the Democratic prize. At stake Tuesday: 179 Democratic delegates.
Of more consequence is her more than 2-to-1 delegate lead over Sanders: 1,134 to 502.
Republican candidate Donald Trump’s got a longer climb in the splintered Republican Party affair, but he helped himself in the first pair of races Tuesday night. He ran up his delegate total to 428, with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz having 315. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has 151 delegates and Ohio Gov. John Kasich has 52. A total of 150 Republican delegates were at stake Tuesday night.
Trump or any resurgent rival needs a total of 619 to slip past the halfway mark, and 1,237 to clinch the nomination.
TWO TWISTS AHEAD
Clinton’s lead in delegates is cushioned by her lopsided advantage with the party insiders known as superdelegates, who can support anyone. They can change their mind before the convention, though that is unlikely to happen short of a meltdown of the Clinton campaign.
Republicans will soon turn to a series of winner-take-all contests, and that’s where the numbers can change in a hurry. Two big states, Florida and Ohio, vote next week, and each will give all their delegates to the winner.
All Republican contests so far have been proportional, divvying up delegates among the contenders (with some extra allocation rules added to make it really complicated). All Democratic contests through the nomination race are proportional.
WHO WILL STAND LAST AGAINST TRUMP?
Cruz, the conservative firebrand, has put up the toughest fight against Trump, staying within range in the delegate hunt and aiming to become the last challenger standing against the billionaire if Rubio and Kasich can’t win their home states March 15.
With the Michigan primary, the race came to Kasich’s region and in partial results he was performing strongly against Cruz in a contest for second place, while Rubio trailed.
Rubio has been the mainstream Republican hope in recent weeks, but has only won two contests in 20: Minnesota and Puerto Rico. He’s putting his remaining hopes for a turnaround in his home state of Florida.
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