WASHINGTON (AP/WXMI) — The Wisconsin primary has been called for Senators Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders.
It’s the Vermont senator’s sixth straight win over front-runner Hillary Clinton in recent weeks. The victory in a large state gives a powerful political boost to Sanders backers. But the results barely dent Clinton’s significant delegate lead for the race nomination.
Because Democrats award delegates proportionally, both candidates will add to their tallies. Clinton has the edge both in pledged delegates and the party insiders known as superdelegates.
Sanders is favored to win the next primary caucuses in Wyoming on Saturday. Both candidates are turning their attention to the April 19 contest in New York. A loss there would be a major political blow for Clinton, who represented the state for eight years in the Senate.
The win for Ted Cruz gives critics of Donald Trump hope that they can stop the GOP front-runner’s rise to the party nomination. They are trying to deny him the majority of delegates and force a contested convention in July.
The Texas senator is casting his victory as a sign that he is the only candidate who can stop Trump. He’s calling on Republicans to unify behind him and pushing Ohio Gov. John Kasich to drop out of the race.
Trump is the favorite in the next primary on April 19 in his home state of New York. He remains the only Republican who can clinch enough delegates to capture the nomination before the party convention.
