Sanders Takes West Virginia; Trump Gets 2 More Wins

Donald Trump racked up two more victories Tuesday night on his unimpeded path to the GOP convention, but the bigger suspense was on the Democratic side, where Bernie Sanders notched a win in West Virginia. The AP, CNN, and other outlets called the race for Sanders about two hours after the polls closed. The win underscores the awkward position of Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party establishment as they attempt to turn their focus to the general election, highlighting yet again her struggles to win over white men and independents—weaknesses that Trump wants to exploit in the fall campaign, notes the AP. Trump himself won easily in West Virginia and Nebraska Tuesday night. (Earlier, perhaps in jest, Ted Cruz hinted at rejoining the race if he won in Nebraska.)

Heading into the night, Clinton was just 155 delegates short of the 2,383 she needs to secure the nomination. To win them, she needs just 17% of the delegates at stake in the remaining contests. That means she could lose all the states left to vote by a landslide and still emerge as the nominee, so long as all of her supporters among the party insiders known as superdelegates continue to back her. Still, Sanders is vowing to fight on. He campaigned in California on Tuesday for the state's June 7 primary. (More Bernie Sanders 2016 stories.)