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-05: This mixed suburban and rural district includes some of the commuter suburbs of the East Bay, as well as the world-famous Napa and Sonoma wine-growing regions. The unique economic mix makes the district a rather liberal one, though its congressional representative, Mike Thompson, is one of the more centrist in the Democratic caucus. Thompson is an avid and accomplished shooter while also being an outspoken advocate of gun control.
Prospects:
Democrats: The district’s centrist politics and relatively large Latino population Hillary Clinton’s prospects.
Clinton 5, Sanders 2
Republicans: Trump is well-positioned in this toss-up district if Cruz and Kasich split conservative and liberal factions.
Trump 3, Cruz 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.