WASHINGTON (CNN) — The raucous 2016 presidential campaign will come into greater clarity on Tuesday as five states could determine whether Republicans are in for a historic convention fight and Democrats are set for a nomination slog lasting into the summer.
The votes in Florida, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois and North Carolina are likely the last chance for Republicans to stop front-runner Donald Trump at the voting booth and avert a contested convention. Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, must win Democratic primaries in at least three of those states if she hopes to blunt Bernie Sanders’ momentum.
The contests in Ohio and Florida have long loomed as a potentially decisive showdown for Republicans because, unlike previous 2016 clashes that awarded delegates on a proportional basis, the two powerful swing states are holding winner-take-all contests.
With 99 delegates up for grabs in the Sunshine State and 66 going to the winner in the Buckeye State, there is a chance for Trump to stretch his lead in the delegate race by such a margin that it becomes almost impossible for any of his rivals to catch him.
