Editor’s note: The presidential nominating contests in both parties will come down to the California primary.
For Democrats, 548 delegates are at stake — 11.5% of the total. For Republicans, 172 delegates are at stage — 6.9% of the total. Of those, for Democrats, 158 (29%) are divided proportionally on a statewide basis, while 317 (58%) are divided proportionally by congressional district, with each district providing between 5 and 8 delegates. The remaining 73 (13%) are “superdelegates.”
For Republicans, 13 (8%) are awarded statewide, with ten going to the candidate with the highest number of votes on a winner-take-all basis, and three going to “pre-determined” delegates (the State Chair, National Committeewoman, National Committeeman). Meanwhile, 159 (92%) are awarded by congressional district on a winner-take-all basis, with each district providing 3 delegates.
The result: a district-by-district battle in both parties, which we preview for you here.
CA-01: This largely rural, mountainous district occupies a large swath of territory — larger than many states — in the northeast corner of California, including Redding and Chico. Many citizens here feel un-represented by the liberal, Democrat-dominated state legislature, and some would prefer to secede and form a new state, “Jefferson.” The district is represented by Rep. Doug LaMalfa, a Republican who was re-elected in 2014 with over 61% of the vote.
Prospects:
Democrats: The anti-establishment, “aging hippie” climate of the district favors Bernie Sanders.
Sanders 5, Clinton 1
Republicans: Cruz is the likely winner of a tough contest, largely based on the fact that the primary is “closed” — GOP only.
Cruz 3, Trump 0, Kasich 0
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. His new e-book, Leadership Secrets of the Kings and Prophets: What the Bible’s Struggles Teach Us About Today, is on sale through Amazon Kindle Direct. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.