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-31: This district is a “swing” district in many ways. It is represented by a Democrat, Pete Aguilar, and is half Latino, but was previously represented by a Republican. Among Republicans, it is likely to be one of the most contested districts between Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and businessman Donald Trump. It was after the San Bernardino attack in December that Trump called for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration. Both parties will fight hard here.
Prospects:
Democrats: Clinton’s strong support among Latino voters will help her eke out a tough win over Sanders.
Clinton 3, Sanders 2
Republicans: The district would favor Cruz, but for the recent memory of terror, which may tilt it to Trump.
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.