By Bronte Price, PoliticKING
Today’s primary, in which Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island voters head to the polls could be a pivotal moment, whether good or bad, for any of the presidential candidates. The primary day, known as the "Acela primary," is named after the high-speed train that takes East Coast commuters up and down the coast.
On the GOP side, there are 172 delegates at stake. Donald Trump is facing off against Ted Cruz and John Kasich who have teamed up to deprive the real-estate mogul of the delegates he needs to shore-up the nomination.
Speaking to a crowd in West Chester Pennsylvania on Monday, Trump criticized Ted Cruz. "So we're going to pick a guy that over a year got creamed, right?” he said. “Got creamed. So you explain how that's done. You would have a revolt!"
The Cruz campaign is well aware that today’s primary might not end well for them. State Sen. Michael Hough, the chairperson of Cruz's Maryland campaign told reporters, "Some of these states -- Connecticut, Rhode Island -- these are Rockefeller-type Republicans. They're not going to resonate with Cruz."
Primary Day: "I think we have a very good chance to win some of the states today," Bernie Sanders says https://t.co/s1t5NjSSv7
— New Day (@NewDay) April 26, 2016
On the Democratic side, there are 384 delegates up for grabs. Hillary Clinton has the potential to solidify her win if she secures the majority of states. She won’t be able to reach the 2,383 delegates she needs to ensure her nomination; however, she could come close enough that Bernie Sanders could decide there is no path forward for him.
During a town hall on MSNBC Monday night, Clinton noted that she currently has a much bigger lead than Barack Obama had against her during this stage of the 2008 Democratic primary.
"It was so much closer than the race right now between me and Senator Sanders," she said.
Here’s what FiveThirtyEight's Harry Enten has to say about the primary:
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