Today could be D-Day for Nikki
Today is Super Tuesday, when 15 Republican presidential primaries and caucuses will take place, and 16 states and territories will vote in the Democratic race.
What are the stakes? Donald Trump has 273 delegates, he must pass 1,215 delegates to win the nomination. Today, 865 delegates are up for grabs.
On the Democratic side, 1,420 — or 36% of the 3,934 available delegates — will be up for grabs. President Biden has 206 delegates as of Monday afternoon and needs 1,968 to lock down the nomination.
As the incumbent, Biden’s fiercest competition is “uncommitted,” which received two delegates in last week’s Michigan primary and represents the anti-Israel faction of his party.
What states are voting
on Super Tuesday? Both Republicans and Democrats will cast votes in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.
Separately, Republicans will also vote in the Alaska primary, while Democrats will vote in the American Samoa caucus.
Tuesday is also the last day for Democratic voters in Iowa to submit their nomination ballots by mail.
What do the polls say? Trump leads in every Super Tuesday state, and by more than 60 points in places like Tennessee and Texas. The main question is if his last remaining rival, Nikki Haley, will be able to avoid a 15-state sweep.
Will Nikki Haley drop out
after Super Tuesday? The former US ambassador to the United Nations and South Carolina governor has played coy about her plans after Tuesday.
“I’ve always said this needs to be competitive. As long as we are competitive, as long as we are showing that there is a place for us, I’m going to continue to fight,” she told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
Trump has won every race except Washington, DC, where Haley won handily Sunday evening.
When will Trump clinch the GOP nomination? Many analysts expect Trump to cross the 1,215 threshold sometime this month. In a memo released last month, Trump’s team predicted he’d hit that milestone next Tuesday, when Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi and Washington state hold their Republican contests.
What comes after Super Tuesday? Immediately after Super Tuesday, Democrats will vote in the Hawaii primary on Wednesday and Republicans will partake in the American Samoan caucus Friday.
After next Tuesday’s contests, Republicans in the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam will caucus on March 15 and 16, respectively.
Then, on March 19, Republicans and Democrats will hold primaries in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Ohio.