Donald Trump Wins Washington State, Inches Closer To Clinching The Nomination

Donald Trump is now just 28 delegates away from clinching the GOP nomination. New Jersey's primary on June 7th will put him over the top.

Trump New York Victory

Donald Trump easily coasted to a win in the Washington primary last night, putting him just one more primary win away from officially clinching the GOP nomination:

Donald Trump marched closer to the Republican nomination on Tuesday, winning Washington State’s primary unopposed.

With the win, the mogul closed in on earning the 1,237 pledged delegates he needs to claim the nomination, a threshold he’s certain to cross on June 7, when Republicans in the final five primary states cast ballots. That election will kick off a six-week lull before Republicans convene in Cleveland to formally bestow the party’s nomination.

Washington’s GOP has a conservative streak that Trump’s former rival Ted Cruz once hoped to capitalize on as he worked to block Trump from claiming the nomination. But without Cruz in the race, Trump has begun consolidating support among primary voters — and the results showed on Tuesday, when the Associated Press called the race for Trump.

Trump walked away with 76% of the vote, which was more than enough to entitle him to at least 40 of the 44 delegates up for grabs last night. This means that Trump is now just 28 delegates away from from the 1,237 he needs to clinch a majority on the first ballot. With the final set of Republican primary contests set for June 7th, it’s fairly easily to figure out what contest will put Trump over the top. More likely than not, it will be an early victory in New Jersey, where the  51 delegates are up on a winner take all basis, that will do the trick. After that Trump will likely coast to easy wins in the remaining states that evening, with California being the most delegate rich state of the night. When it’s all said and done, Trump will likely end up with something close to 1,500 delegates when the evening is over and a cushion over his closest opponent, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, of more than 800 delegates. For a race that was looking like it would end up being very close as recently as a month ago, that’s quite a substantial margin.

There was no contest last night on the Democratic side, but on that end we can also predict with a modicum of certainty when the frontrunner will officially capture their party’s nomination. As of today, Hillary Clinton stands 95 delegates short of clinching the nomination. The next contests on the Democratic side are in the Virgin Islands on June 4th and Puerto Rico on June 5th, where a total of  67 delegates are up for grabs. Win or lose, Clinton will pick up delegates in both states thanks to the Democratic Party’s proportional delegate allocation rules, but not enough to put her over the top. As with Trump, it looks like the first contest of the night on June 7th, New Jersey, will be the state that puts Clinton over the top, with states like California adding to the total. Finally, the Democratic nomination fight officially ends with a primary in Washington, D.C. on June 14th where there will be 20 delegates up for grabs. By the time that process is over, Clinton will have more than enough delegates to win the nomination. Whether that will be enough for Bernie Sanders and his supporters to finally face reality is another question.

FILED UNDER: 2016 Election, US Politics, , , , , , , , , , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Facebones says:

    But… But… But…

    Bernies only down 300 delegates and California has 475! According to my BernieBro pals on Facebook, Bernie is going to win all 475 delegates in California! Even though they are assigned proportionally! The only people who will vote for Shillary are her paid trolls! WHAT OTHER REASON COULD ANYONE POSSIBLY HAVE FOR VOTING AGAINST THE ONE TRUE PROGRESSIVE?!?! Then those evil superdelegates we spent four months talking smack about and harassing will have to flip to Bernie!

    I wish that I was being hyperbolic but I see a variation of this at least once a day on Facebook. It’s a shame, because I like Bernie’s message, but his antics of late and the behavior of his fan club have left me disgusted.

  2. Jenos Idanian says:

    Meanwhile, at a Trump event in New Mexico, anti-Trump protesters peacefully threw rocks and bottles, started fires, and trashed police cars to show how much hate and violence Trump inspires.

    And at DePaul University, Milo “Dangerous Faggot” Yiannopoulos was invited to speak. The administration insisted that there be extra security, and the costs be borne by Milo’s employer and the student group that invited him.

    During his event, Black Lives Matter and other protesters got up on stage, shouted, blew whistles, and physically threatened and assaulted the people on the stage while that extra security stayed in the back of the hall, where it was safe. Milo responded by leading the audience to protest at the college president’s office for not protecting them.

    At the least, they should get a refund for the security that they had to pay for, and did nothing.

  3. James Pearce says:

    @Jenos Idanian:

    Meanwhile, at a Trump event in New Mexico, anti-Trump protesters peacefully threw rocks and bottles, started fires, and trashed police cars to show how much hate and violence Trump inspires.

    It’s time you stop thinking people are going to be peaceful when you want to put a boot on the back of their neck.

    In fact, might be a smart idea to expect more of this.

  4. Jenos Idanian says:

    @James Pearce: In fact, might be a smart idea to expect more of this.

    Oh, I’m expecting more and more and more of this.

    And I’m expecting the trend of “blame the victims and excuse the violent ones” to continue. You will hardly be the only ones who will try to shift the blame for the violence from the actual violent people. Those Trump people are just ASKING for it, right?

  5. Tyrell says:

    @Jenos Idanian: The BLM has been stirring up trouble at other
    colleges: pushing people around, disrupting, and making threats. The president of DePaul should have had them arrested and locked up on the spot. We are not going through what happened in the ’60’s when radicals took over and destroyed valuable property on many college campuses.
    Both Hillary and Don do not put up with their crap. What about those students who wanted to hear that speaker ? Seems like his freedom of speech was taken away by BLM. What was their beef with him ?
    BLM: consumed by their own greed !

  6. Scott says:

    We are not going through what happened in the ’60’s when radicals took over and destroyed valuable property on many college campuses.

    We could call out the National Guard!

  7. James Pearce says:

    @Jenos Idanian:

    And I’m expecting the trend of “blame the victims and excuse the violent ones” to continue.

    What I meant was that as the GOP agenda gets more extreme under Trump, it’s reasonable to expect that resistance to that agenda will also get more extreme.

    It’s unreasonable to think Trump can run the campaign he has and that there would be no violence.

    I mean, if you really, really want to deport all the Mexicans, keep all the Muslims out of the country, flirt with white supremacy, you should also expect to scrape your knuckles on a protester or two.

    I’d prefer a society that cooperates for mutual benefit, but that’s not Trump’s vision of America.

  8. Tony W says:

    @Tyrell:

    BLM: consumed by their own greed !

    I’d like to hear more about this greed of Black Americans.

  9. Jenos Idanian says:

    @James Pearce: What I meant was that as the GOP agenda gets more extreme under Trump, it’s reasonable to expect that resistance to that agenda will also get more extreme.

    So as Trump says more and more things people don’t like, they are more and more justified in acting violently.

    Funny, I thought this was America, with a First Amendment and everything. When the hell did that change? Oh, yeah, when the left decided that they are the only ones who get Constitutional rights.

    I mean, if you really, really want to deport all the Mexicans, keep all the Muslims out of the country, flirt with white supremacy, you should also expect to scrape your knuckles on a protester or two.

    Trump said he wants to deport the illegal Mexicans. Are you so stupid that you don’t see a difference between legal immigrants and illegal immigrants, so racist that you think that all Mexicans are illegal immigrants, or just comfortable lying to advance your agenda?

    Trump also said a temporary hold on Muslim immigrants until we figure out how the hell to keep the peaceful ones from the Jihadists. Can’t tell the truth on that one?

    “White supremacy?” Still f$cking that chicken?

    “Expect to scrape your knuckles on a protester or two?” If you hadn’t noticed it’s the protesters whose knuckles are scraping. So far they’re scraping those knuckles on cops and Trump supporters.

    Your side is the one that’s committing the violence so far, and you’re excusing it. Sooner or later the people being attacked will fight back.

    And care to speculate on which side is more likely to possess a legal firearm?

    Sooner or later the thugs on your side are going to attack someone who is legally carrying, and they will legally exercise their right of self-defense. But I suppose you already have your “lynch the guy who shot the protester” arguments already written up, and just need to fill in the blanks.

  10. James Pearce says:

    @Jenos Idanian:

    So as Trump says more and more things people don’t like, they are more and more justified in acting violently.

    No, I’m saying a moderate Republican would not receive a reaction like this. I’m not actually making any judgments on whether the reaction is justified. For some people, violence is never justified.

    I’m not one of those people. But I’m not in Anaheim throwing rocks right now, am I?

    Trump said he wants to deport the illegal Mexicans.

    Are you so stupid that you think our government can tell the difference?

    Trump also said a temporary hold on Muslim immigrants until we figure out how the hell to keep the peaceful ones from the Jihadists.

    Again, you trust the government to know the difference?

    Still f$cking that chicken?

    “White supremacy” is inartful phrasing, I’ll admit, because I do not actually think Trump would don white hood and go burning crosses. But you cannot deny that white supremacists, the real ones, love them some Donald Trump.

    Don’t worry. He will disappoint them, as he will us all.

    @Jenos Idanian:

    Sooner or later the thugs on your side are going to attack someone who is legally carrying, and they will legally exercise their right of self-defense.

    That is a possibility. But it’s more likely the violence will involve police.

    I’m not excusing the violence. But I understand where it comes from.

  11. Jenos Idanian says:

    @James Pearce: But you cannot deny that white supremacists, the real ones, love them some Donald Trump.

    So? You wanna deny that the rioters in question love them some Barack Obama? That, while rioting, they were Feeling The Bern?

    I don’t believe in tarnishing people for what others say about them. I don’t discredit leaders just because some nuts like them. If the leader in question embraces them, that’s one thing. But if he or she just tends to ignore them, that’s fine.

    The “dog whistle” argument is, to me, BS. Mainly because the people who seem to hear the dog whistles most clearly are the ones whom the alleged whistle isn’t attended — and, in most cases, the ones the alleged whistle is supposed to motivate people against.

  12. Jenos Idanian says:

    @James Pearce: That is a possibility. But it’s more likely the violence will involve police.

    That’s because, right now, the police are standing between the Rioters and the Trumpettes.

    As we saw at DePaul, though, the authorities will not always choose to intervene. The administration-mandated additional security was present when the Black Lives Matter stormed the stage, and did nothing.

    So I think your prediction is likely, but hardly guaranteed.

  13. James Pearce says:

    @Jenos Idanian:

    If the leader in question embraces them, that’s one thing. But if he or she just tends to ignore them, that’s fine.

    No, it’s not fine. There is some support candidates do not want. Donald Trump doesn’t want anything to do with neo-Nazis. Neo-Nazis are bad for business, and besides, he likes people, not just white people.

    He’s not repudiating the white supremacists who support him because he’s as cynical as he is ruthless. He’s using them, not the other way around. He’ll take their vote if no one else will. Plus, he doesn’t want to get into this little game with the press where he becomes their dancing monkey having to denounce every little kook.

    What I would prefer is someone who isn’t so cynical or ruthless, who sends a different message, who says, (putting on Donald impression) “Look, all you white supremacist losers, you KKK jerks and you skinhead punks, don’t vote for me. Vote for Hillary Clinton. She’s the one who wants to keep the race wars going. Look at Anaheim. I want to bring back the jobs, create new jobs. Blah blah blah.”

    But that’s not the Trump we get. Boohoo.

  14. Tony W says:

    @James Pearce:

    But I’m not in Anaheim throwing rocks right now, am I?

    Well to be honest, we don’t really know

  15. Jenos Idanian says:

    @James Pearce: No, it’s not fine. There is some support candidates do not want.

    Interesting theory. Just for the sake of balance, can you provide a few examples of such toxic supporters from the left? How about self-confessed and unrepentant domestic terrorists? Convicted felons who celebrate their crimes in alleged art? Socialists and communists?

    And what’s wrong with a candidate saying “I’ll take anyone’s vote. Some people — and I think you know who I’m talking about, folks — have fallen for the left’s lies about me and want to believe I agree with their hateful agenda, and they’re gonna be in for a hell of a disappointment when I do win, but I’ll take their votes. They won’t get what they want, but who knows? Maybe they’ll see how wrong they are. There’s always hope.”

  16. Tyrell says:

    @Jenos Idanian: Riots at Trump rally – rocks thrown, fires, windows broke, police cars damaged. Then the protesters left after they found out that Barbara Boxer wasn’t there.

  17. anjin-san says:

    @Jenos Idanian:

    You have to kind of feel for Jenos. Too much of a small fry to ever have a chance to kiss Trump’s ass in person, this is all he has…