GOP Candidates Enter Manic Final Stretch

GOP Candidates Enter Manic Final Stretch

GOP Candidates Enter Manic Final Stretch

Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) greets guests during a campaign stop at the Armory on March 24, 2016 in Janesville, Wisconsin. With beneath than two months actual on the primary calendar, it is crisis time for the Republican candidates acquisitive to force an accessible assemblage or, in Donald Trump's case, lock up the choice afore the affair meets in Cleveland this summer.

The final amplitude promises to be a berserk coursing for assembly and a high-stakes analysis of attack strategy, arena out in states that accept rarely apparent the primary attack spotlight. And, after any debates on the calendar, the action will instead be waged in the trenches.

Most of the actual 854 Republican delegates, a baby allotment of whom are absolved by accompaniment votes, will be awarded in 16 primaries in seven contests advance out over the next eight weeks. Roughly one-third of those actual assembly will appear from just two states: New York, which votes next week, and California, which will casting ballots June 7, the final day of voting.

Track the Republican agent count

GOP Candidates Enter Manic Final Stretch

Track the Democratic agent count

As the map has shrunk, the candidates' focus has narrowed. Trump endure anniversary canceled attack jaunts to Colorado and California to hone his assets on acceptable the New York primary, area he could possibly ambit the delegates.

Sen. Ted Cruz did accomplish the cruise to the Republican accompaniment assemblage in Colorado on Saturday, area he swept the state's assembly in a advantageous campaign-organization appearance of force. During an account Sunday on "Meet The Press," Trump's assemblage administrator and advance agent hunter Paul Manafort accused Cruz's attack of "Gestapo tactics, scorched-earth tactics" in altercation delegates. Cruz's attack alleged the accuse "falsehoods" and dedicated its agent operation as the mark of a able campaign.

Manafort did accede that Trump's attack has not been hitting on all cylinders. "We weren't arena in Colorado and they did," he said, apropos to Cruz's campaign.

With Cruz out West and Trump in New York, Ohio Gov. John Kasich will about-face his absorption briefly this anniversary to Maryland, with a attack stop there Wednesday. The accompaniment will vote April 26, with 38 assembly at stake. Even that baby cost would advice Kasich, who has alone won his home accompaniment and still trails Marco Rubio in the agent count, although Rubio has been out of the chase for about a month.

Although it is a average prize, with 57 assembly at stake, Indiana's vote next ages will acceptable be an important bellwether for the endure amplitude of the primary and could accommodate important drive to its victor. The accompaniment is the sole one to vote May 3, and so the aftereffect will accept outsized media advantage and absorption from the candidates.

Rex Early, Trump's attack administrator in Indiana, endure anniversary told the Indianapolis Star that the attack is accepting a backward alpha acclimation there. But, he added, "We're traveling to bolt up."

The GOP primary will about absolutely ability its acme June 7, with votes in New Jersey, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota and the race's acme jewel, California, area candidates are already mining for political gold. Cruz chock-full there Monday for contest in Irvine and San Diego, two Republican strongholds in a deep-blue Democratic state.

For Cruz and Kasich, the cold on the final day of voting will be to accumulate Trump abbreviate of the 1,237 assembly he would charge to lock up the choice afore Cleveland. If the celebrity agent comes close, but absolutely avalanche short, the party's 112 absolved assembly could appear into play in the 5 weeks amid the end of voting and the alpha of the convention.

At that time, too, the candidates would amplify their pitches to win the nomination. Indeed, that action is already starting.

"What, are we traveling to aces anyone who can't win?" Kasich said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation." "I mean, that would be nuts."

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