WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Trump won more than 50 percent of the total Republican primary votes in the US states of Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Delaware, Maryland and Connecticut. In each state, he won more votes than his remaining challengers.
"Trump should pull out the stops in Indiana next Tuesday to come as close to a sweep as possible, which would put him very close to a win," Ohio Northern University Associate History Professor Robert Waters said on Thursday.
Trump has already won 987 delegates, but needs 1,237 delegates to guarantee his nomination at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio in July.
"Regardless of what happens in Indiana, Trump should make a big push in Nebraska for its 36 winner-takes-all delegates. A win in Nebraska combined with a sweep in West Virginia almost guarantees him the nomination," Waters maintained.
Five of the remaining states are winner-takes-all, and these include Trump's two strongest remaining states, West Virginia and New Jersey, Waters stated.
"We can add 85 automatic delegates to his count from West Virginia and New Jersey, which brings him to 1,072 — which means he needs an additional 165 out of the remaining states' 417 delegates."
Indiana holds its primary next Tuesday, while West Virginia and Nebraska hold their primary contests on May 10. Oregon will hold its primary on May 17, Washington on May 24 and California, New Jersey, Montana, South Dakota and New Mexico on June 7.
"Three Great Plains/Rocky Mountain states are winner-takes-all and this is Trump’s weakest region: He… could lose all 92 delegates. That means he needs to win 165 out of 325 — basically half. That is harder."
Republican primary rules in Oregon, Washington and New Mexico are not winner-takes-all, but are proportional, which helps Trump, he added.
However, California and Indiana have primary rules that often give the winner many more delegates, he pointed out.
"So if Trump’s 40 percent has the impact of having received 60 percent of the vote [in California and Indiana], that gives him another 45 delegates, and he's squeaked by to win the nomination."
Independent Institute Center on Peace and Liberty Director Ivan Eland told Sputnik that even if Trump failed to win the 1,237 delegates, it will be hard for the Republican Party not to give the nomination to him.
Americans "expect the person with the most votes to win. Smoke-filled rooms — and conventions — are dated. If Trump doesn't get the nomination, the party will be irreparably fractured for the general election in November," Eland warned.
Waters, however, suggested that Trump’s five landslide primary victories on Tuesday may have boosted his support even in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain states, giving him more hope of winning key delegates there.
