WASHINGTON — Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump each won primaries in Washington state on Tuesday.
Trump’s win helps him inch closer to clinching the GOP nomination for president. He is within 41 delegates of the number needed to become the Republican nominee.
Clinton’s win might give her some momentum, but it won’t get her any delegates. There were no delegates at stake in the Democratic primary. Washington Democrats already awarded their delegates based on party caucuses.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders won Washington’s caucuses in March, getting 74 delegates. Clinton got 27.
Republicans in Washington will allocate all 44 delegates to their national convention based on the primary results.
Trump won at least 27 delegates on Tuesday, with 17 still left to be allocated. The billionaire businessman has 1,196 delegates. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the GOP nomination.
There are no more Republican contests until June 7, when the last five states vote. With a total of 303 delegates at stake in California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota, Trump should easily clinch the nomination that day.
Trump is the only remaining candidate in the GOP contest. But his former opponents, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, were still on the ballot because they suspended their campaigns after the ballots were printed. Ben Carson also was on the ballot because he never submitted the paperwork to have his name removed.
Sanders trails Hillary Clinton in the delegate count and he is running out of contests in his longshot bid to catch up.
Clinton is just 78 delegates short of clinching the Democratic nomination for president. She is on track to do so in early June, even if she loses all the remaining contests.
Clinton has 1,768 pledged delegates won in primaries and caucuses. Sanders has 1,497.
Clinton’s lead is even bigger when superdelegate endorsements are included. These are the party leaders and elected officials who can support the candidate of their choice.
Overall, Clinton has 2,305 delegates and Sanders has 1,539. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination.
