Super Tuesday could be decisive for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton
Feb 29, 2016, 10:44 AM
(AP Photos)
(AP Photos)
Tuesday will be a big day in deciding which two candidates will square off in November’s presidential election.
Republican hopefuls Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz will vie for 595 delegates spread across 11 states. Delegates will be awarded proportionally on Super Tuesday; there are no winner-take-all states.
Despite several gaffes over the weekend, including failing to condemn the endorsement of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, Trump is riding a wave of momentum after winning the past three GOP primaries.
Should Trump claim some heavy victories Tuesday, he could eliminate one or more of his rivals on the potential path to the nomination.
Heading into the largest single-day haul of delegates in the race, Cruz and Rubio escalated their arguments that Trump is a conservative impostor, trying to make the case to voters they can keep the ascendant billionaire from claiming the GOP nomination.
Georgia is one of 11 states that will hold GOP presidential primaries Tuesday. There, Rubio kept up a barrage of insults aimed at Trump on Saturday. Speaking at a football stadium at Mount Paran Christian School in suburban Atlanta, Rubio said Trump has “the worst spray tan in America.”
“Donald Trump, a con artist, will never get control of this party,” Rubio continued.
Cruz called Super Tuesday “the most important day in this entire election cycle” and said turnout is key.
As far as the Democrats are concerned, frontrunner Hillary Clinton could strike a decisive blow to rival Bernie Sanders on Super Tuesday.
Democrats will vote in 11 states and American Samoa, with 865 delegates up for grabs.
While Sanders has the money to stay in the race deep into the spring, Clinton’s campaign sees a chance to build enough of a delegate lead to put the race out of reach during the sprint through March.
Should Clinton roll up such margins in the swath of Southern states that vote on Tuesday, it may not matter if she ekes out wins or close second-place finishes to Sanders elsewhere. Those wins may be enough to grow her delegate lead to the point where Sanders can’t catch up.
However, Sanders’ wife, Jane, thinks her husband has built up enough momentum to extend the race. If he avoids blowout losses in Southern states — such as Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas — he may be able to survive to see the calendar improve in his favor later next month.
Check out the graphic below to learn a little more about Super Tuesday, including a breakdown of the delegates up for grabs and the last candidate to win the respective states.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
