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New York primary: Voting underway as Clinton and Trump look to cement front-runner status New York primary: Voting winding down as Clinton and Trump look to cement front-runner status
(35 minutes later)
NEW YORK — Voting continued Tuesday in the most raucous nominating contest of an already wild presidential campaign season, with New York a coveted prize for Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, who anticipate wins tonight that will vault them closer to their party’s nomination. NEW YORK — Voting continued Tuesday in the most raucous nominating contest of an already wild presidential campaign season, with New York a coveted prize for Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, who anticipate wins that will vault them closer to their party’s nomination.
Polls show Clinton and Trump leading by double-digit margins in a state with vastly diverse backdrops, from the riches of Wall Street and suburban Westchester County to the struggles of industrial cities upstate like Watervliet and Watertown. While the party front-runners spent much of the day in New York, other candidates — Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) and Ohio Gov. John Kasich on the GOP side and Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) in the Democratic race — stumped for votes in Maryland and Pennsylvania, which will hold primaries next week. Polls showed Clinton and Trump leading by double-digit margins in a state with a vastly diverse backdrop, stretching from the riches of Wall Street and suburban Westchester County to the struggles of industrial cities upstate like Watervliet and Watertown.
A big win for Trump would bring him closer to securing an outright majority of Republican delegates — an outcome that remains in jeopardy and has prompted Cruz to mount a spirited, methodical campaign to force a contested convention. A big win for Trump would bring him closer to securing an outright majority of Republican delegates — an outcome that remains in jeopardy and has prompted Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) to mount a spirited, methodical campaign to force a contested convention.
Early exit poll results showed that Trump was poised for a commanding victory thanks to a less conservative electorate that favors an outsider in the White House. A Clinton victory would provide momentum after a blitz of recent primary and caucus wins for Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.). Unlike Trump, Clinton is so far ahead in the delegate count that it would be nearly impossible for Sanders to catch her.
While the party front-runners spent much of the day in New York, Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich on the GOP side and Sanders in the Democratic race stumped for votes in Maryland and Pennsylvania, which will hold primaries next week.
[6 things to watch in New York’s primary tonight][6 things to watch in New York’s primary tonight]
But if Trump falls short of the needed delegates, a clear majority of New York Republican voters — seven in ten — said the party should nominate the leading candidate regardless of whether they achieve an absolute majority of convention delegates, according to exit poll results reported by CNN. More than half of New York Republican voters consider themselves “somewhat” conservative, according to exit polls reported by CNN. If that stands throughout the evening, it would be higher than any state in this year’s contests, and shows Trump’s likely support in the state. Early exit poll results in New York showed that Trump was poised for a commanding victory thanks to a less conservative electorate that favors an outsider in the White House.
Most GOP primary voters — more than six in ten — said they want the next president to hail from outside the political establishment. If that figure holds, it would mark the highest level of support for a political outsider in Republican contests this year, according to CNN. A clear majority of New York Republican voters — seven in ten — said the party should nominate the leading candidate regardless of whether they achieve an absolute majority of convention delegates, according to exit poll results reported by CNN. More than half of New York Republican voters consider themselves “somewhat” conservative, according to exit polls reported by CNN. If that stands throughout the evening, it would be higher than any state in this year’s contests, and shows Trump’s likely support in the state.
A Clinton victory would provide momentum after a blitz of recent primary and caucus wins for Sanders. Unlike Trump, Clinton is so far ahead in the delegate count that it would be nearly impossible for Sanders to catch her. Most GOP primary voters also said they want the next president to hail from outside the political establishment. If that figure holds, it would mark the highest level of support for a political outsider in Republican contests this year, according to CNN.
Roughly four in ten New York Democratic primary voters are non-white, according to early exit poll data reported by ABC News, up slightly from 30 percent in the 2008 Democratic primary in the state. That apparent shift bodes well for Clinton if it holds through the night, as non-white voters have favored Clinton over Sanders by a 70 to 29 percent margin across earlier contests this year. Roughly four in ten New York Democratic primary voters are non-white, according to early exit poll data reported by ABC News, up slightly from 30 percent in the 2008 Democratic primary in the state. That apparent shift signaled a good night for Clinton, given that non-white voters have favored her over Sanders by a 70 to 29 percent margin across earlier contests.
Sanders has performed especially well among independent voters this year, and preliminary exit polling reported by ABC News found nearly one-fifth of the Democratic electorate identifying as independents. While up slightly from 12 percent in the 2008 primary, New York’s current mark is below the 24 percent average in Democratic contests so far, probably due to the state’s closed primary, where only party registrants can vote.Sanders has performed especially well among independent voters this year, and preliminary exit polling reported by ABC News found nearly one-fifth of the Democratic electorate identifying as independents. While up slightly from 12 percent in the 2008 primary, New York’s current mark is below the 24 percent average in Democratic contests so far, probably due to the state’s closed primary, where only party registrants can vote.
Tuesday’s vote also signaled stronger unity among Democrats than Republicans. At least six in ten New York Democratic primary voters said they would definitely support either Clinton or Sanders as the party’s nominee, according to preliminary exit poll data reported by ABC News. There’s far less agreement among Republicans: About half said they would “definitely support” Trump, while roughly a quarter would support Cruz, and three in ten would support Kasich. Tuesday’s vote also signaled stronger unity among Democrats than Republicans. At least six in ten New York Democratic primary voters said they would definitely support either Clinton or Sanders as the party’s nominee, according to preliminary exit poll data reported by ABC News. But about half of Republicans said they would “definitely support” Trump, while roughly a quarter would support Cruz, and three in ten would support Kasich.
[Trump’s field director steps aside][Trump’s field director steps aside]
In New York City, officials announced plans to audit the Board of Elections, which conceded Tuesday that 125,000 Brooklyn voters had been purged from the voter rolls, and residents complained about problems at polling sites across the city. Trump planned to spend the evening at Trump Tower in Manhattan, where he lives and works. While several hundred reporters gathered in the pink marble lobby for a news conference, guests dressed in cocktail attire took the escalator downstairs to a party in the building’s food court.
“The next president of the United States could very easily be decided tonight. And yet the incompetence of the Board of Elections puts a cloud over these results,” New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer told reporters as he announced plans for an audit. Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, told reporters that he expects Trump to win big in New York on Tuesday night, especially “out on the island” — Long Island — and in places where he held rallies. His goal was for Trump to do better in his home state of New York than Cruz did in Texas or Kasich did in Ohio.
New York Mayor Bill be Blasio voiced support for the audit, saying he expected problems to be fixed in time for state and local primaries scheduled in June. Lewandowski said the campaign is already looking ahead to the burst of nominating contests next week in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
“I think the Cruz campaign is going to be mathematically eliminated from the nomination a week from tonight,” Lewandowski said. “If the results go well tonight, he has to win 95 percent of the remaining delegates moving forward, which is almost an impossible task. I think it’s time to unite around Donald Trump, he’s the only person who can win the nomination, he’s the only person who can get the delegates, he’s the only one who can expand the map moving into the general election.”
When asked about the campaign’s sudden and dramatic restructuring, which has shifted power away from Lewandowski, the campaign manager replied: “We’re growing, baby.”
[Trump’s shift to more-seasoned staffers is a key inflection point for bid]
In New York City, the Board of Elections conceded that tens of thousands of Brooklyn voters had been purged from the voter rolls and residents complained about problems at polling sites across the city. Angered by the news, city officials announced plans to audit the agency and New York Mayor Bill be Blasio said he wanted the problems fixed in time for congressional primaries scheduled in June.
Despite the troubles, many New Yorkers celebrated their newfound relevance Tuesday, even if they have grown a bit weary of the barrage of ads on the airwaves in recent weeks.Despite the troubles, many New Yorkers celebrated their newfound relevance Tuesday, even if they have grown a bit weary of the barrage of ads on the airwaves in recent weeks.
“It’s nice. I feel like our vote usually doesn’t count,” said Sunita Ray, 41, who voted for Clinton in Midtown Manhattan. Still, she said she will not miss some aspects of the heated primary campaign. “The ads were a little annoying.”“It’s nice. I feel like our vote usually doesn’t count,” said Sunita Ray, 41, who voted for Clinton in Midtown Manhattan. Still, she said she will not miss some aspects of the heated primary campaign. “The ads were a little annoying.”
[Clinton asks New Yorkers to make primary a referendum on Trump][Clinton asks New Yorkers to make primary a referendum on Trump]
Clinton cast her own vote in Chappaqua in suburban New York, where supporters had waited outside with signs and buttons. She later flew to Washington to address the North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) legislative conference, although she planned to end the day in New York City.Clinton cast her own vote in Chappaqua in suburban New York, where supporters had waited outside with signs and buttons. She later flew to Washington to address the North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) legislative conference, although she planned to end the day in New York City.
Meanwhile, scores of onlookers gathered Tuesday morning outside Trump Tower to catch a glimpse of Trump as he left home to vote. They waved enthusiastically behind a barricade before the billionaire’s motorcade took off down 56th Street. The sidewalks surrounding Central Synagogue in Manhattan, where Trump voted, were lined with supporters and some protesters. Trailing throughout the contest, the Sanders campaign played down his prospects in New York, citing the state’s closed primary.
Someone asked Trump whom he intended to vote for. “Easy decision,” he replied, smiling.
The Sanders campaign has played down his prospects in New York, citing the state’s closed primary.
At a rally at Pennsylvania State University before the polls closed in New York, Sanders told a crowd in a packed filed house that he was going to do a lot better there than people thought, despite a number of obstacles.At a rally at Pennsylvania State University before the polls closed in New York, Sanders told a crowd in a packed filed house that he was going to do a lot better there than people thought, despite a number of obstacles.
“We’re going to do just fine tonight in New York,” Sanders said to boisterous cheers in State College. “We’re going to do just fine tonight in New York,” Sanders told more than 6,600 people in State College, mostly college students, according to a figure supplied by the venue.
He used his address to knock New York officials for not allowing independents to vote in Tuesday’s primaries, saying they need to “make some fundamental changes about how they do business.” Angered by the closed primary, Sanders said New York officials need to “make some fundamental changes about how they do business.”
Sanders said that 3 million unaffiliated voters had been prevented from having a voice in the Democratic and Republican primaries. On the Democratic side, independent voters have tilted heavily in his favor in states where they are allowed to vote.
Sanders also said it was absurd that polls in upstate New York did not open until noon, a time that makes it impossible for some working-class voters to participate.Sanders also said it was absurd that polls in upstate New York did not open until noon, a time that makes it impossible for some working-class voters to participate.
Like Sanders, Cruz is bracing for a loss in New York, polling behind not only Trump in recent surveys but also Kasich, whose only primary victory so far came in his home state. Like Sanders, Cruz braced for a loss in New York, polling behind not only Trump in recent surveys but also Kasich, whose only primary victory so far came in his home state. The loss came after a string of victories in Western states. He was scheduled to speak later Tuesday in Philadelphia and planned to meet with dozens of Republicans running to serve as national convention delegates at the Cleveland convention. On Wednesday, Cruz is scheduled to campaign in Hershey, Pa.
Cruz was scheduled to speak later Tuesday in Philadelphia and huddle afterward with dozens of Republicans running to serve as national convention delegates at the Cleveland convention. Kasich began Tuesday by canvassing the lunchtime crowd at Pittsburgh’s Original Oyster House, and was scheduled to campaign later in Annapolis and Bethesda. He is scheduled to campaign in suburban Philadelphia later this week.
Kasich began the day Tuesday by canvassing the lunchtime crowd at Pittsburgh’s Original Oyster House, and was scheduled to campaign later in Annapolis and Bethesda. Phillip and Johnson reported from New York and O’Keefe from Washington. John Wagner in State College, Pa., Sean Sullivan in Philadelphia, Jose A. Del Real in New York and Scott Clement, Juliet Eilperin and Anne Gearan in Washington contributed to this report.
O’Keefe and Eilperin reported from Washington. John Wagner in New York and Erie, Pa., Abby Phillip in New York, and Scott Clement, Anne Gearan and Katie Zezima in Washington contributed to this report.