Arizona election could be pivotal in selection of GOP, Democratic candidates
Mar 17, 2016, 5:31 AM | Updated: 12:57 pm
(AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)
PHOENIX — As a winner-take-all state, Arizona could play a pivotal role in determining which presidential candidates secure their respective party’s nomination.
Voters will head to the polls for Arizona’s presidential preference election on March 22. Candidates are now investing more time and resources to woo Arizonans.
A slew of events have been announced over the coming days. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders is hosting multiple rallies around the state while Hillary Clinton plans to be in Arizona on Monday.
As for the Republicans, Donald Trump will be in Fountain Hills on Saturday and Ted Cruz has a slew of events scheduled in the Phoenix area in the coming days.
While Trump, the Republican front-runner, made impressive gains Tuesday, his loss in Ohio means every delegate counts moving forward, especially those in Arizona.
“He is the presumptive nominee, barring something that completely changes the trajectory,” KTAR political analyst Mike O’Neil said. “His campaign is volatile enough that that’s always possible.”
On the democratic side, O’Neil said Hillary Clinton has the lead in Arizona, but with enough momentum, Bernie Sanders could come out on top.
“Hillary Clinton is winning most states, so I would have to rate her as likely to win here, but not a certainty because Bernie Sanders is winning some states,” O’Neil said.
Arizona has 58 Republican delegates and 85 Democratic delegates at stake on Tuesday.