With the conclusion of the Super Tuesday primaries on March 1, the presidential candidates are even closer to winning the number of delegates needed to win their party’s nomination.

On Tuesday, Democrat Hillary Clinton defeated Bernie Sanders in seven out of the eleven Super Tuesday primaries. On the Republican side, Donald Trump won seven state primaries, Ted Cruz won three, and Marco Rubio won one.

While a dramatic shift in voting patterns is possible, the trends for this election are becoming more evident as candidates Clinton and Trump continue to lead as front runners in the presidential race.

According to the New York Times, the candidates have won delegates as follows:
Republicans: Trump 319 delegates, Cruz 226 delegates, Rubio 110 delegates, Kasich 25 delegates

Democrats: Clinton 1052 delegates, Sanders 427 delegates

Republican candidates need 1237 delegates to win the nomination, while Democratic candidates need 2382 to win, according to the New York Times.

Republican candidates are currently vying to overtake Trump, encouraging their competitors to drop out so that Trump can be surpassed.

“Tonight, this campaign enters a new phase,” said Cruz, according to CNN. “So long as the field remains divided, Donald Trump’s path to the nomination remains more likely, and that would be a disaster for Republicans, for conservatives and for the nation. And after tonight, we have seen that our campaign is the only campaign that has beaten, that can beat and that will beat Donald Trump.”

Rubio expressed the same sentiment after Tuesday’s primaries.

“We basically fought Donald Trump to a draw. And had it been a narrower field, we would have won Virginia,” said Rubio, according to CNN.

Coming up next are caucuses and primaries on Saturday, March 5 in Kentucky, Kansas, Maine, Nebraska, and Louisiana. A Democratic caucus in Maine and a Republican primary in Puerto Rico will also be held on Sunday, March 6.

On Tuesday, March 8, primaries will be held for both parties in Mississippi and Michigan. A Republican primary will be held in Idaho, as well as a Republican caucus in Hawaii.

Each of the candidates are hoping to gain momentum with victories in these states so they can win key states in the Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, and North Carolina primaries on March 15.

The results of the March 15 primaries will paint a clearer picture of the future of the race. While it is likely that Clinton will receive the Democratic nomination, whether Trump will lose his wave of support is yet to be seen, though the other Republican candidates are still expressing confidence in their ability to defeat him.

“Do not give in to sham artists and con artists who try to take advantage of your suffering and your hardships,” said Rubio, according to USA Today. “The pundits say we’re underdogs. I’ll accept that. We’ve all been underdogs. But we will win.”

As Election Day approaches, students’ knowledge of the presidential race becomes increasingly important. Attention should be paid to each candidate’s views, successes in primaries and caucuses, as well as responses in debates.
To learn more, click here to find other information on the race.