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-16: This rural district includes the heart of the Central Valley agricultural region, following the Amtrak San Joaquin line down from Merced to northern Fresno. It is represented in Congress by Jim Costa, one of the most conservative Democrats left on Capitol Hill, who barely squeaked by in 2014. It is a “majority-minority” district, where 60% of the residents are Latino. Water issues are paramount, and high-speed rail is a hot topic of debate.
Prospects:
Democrats: Clinton will sweep this conservative district, and build on her high support among Latino voters.
Clinton 5, Sanders 0
Republicans: Cruz will win easily in this district, thanks to its high Latino population and conservative farming base.
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.