It may have been a warm-up to Tuesday's main event, but Saturday's primaries still held plenty of intrigue. From the polling lines in D.C. to Donald Trump's single delegate, the trio of regions casting their ballots helped tide pundits over until tomorrow's do-or-die contest in five states.
For the front-runner, the weekend's performance was very forgettable -- taking third place in Wyoming, D.C., and potentially Guam (where Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, won the only delegate currently up for grabs). Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is clawing to stay alive in his home state, won the District of Columbia, which was either good or bad, depending on your perspective. In a race where candidates seem to be competing for "Washington outsider," Senator Cruz quipped that coming in fourth only solidifies his standing as a man willing to take on the political establishment. "According to Washington, D.C., I am dead last. That result didn't surprise me at all," he told a North Carolina crowd. "If you have an election of lobbyists, they're going to elect their interests. When you get out of Washington, D.C., and you actually get into America, the reaction is going to be a little bit different."
By day's end, Senator Rubio edged out Cruz with 11 delegates to Cruz's 10 (nine of which came from his landslide victory in Wyoming, where he won 66 percent of the vote to Rubio's 19 percent). Of course, the real prizes will be doled out tomorrow, when the delegates from Florida (99), North Carolina (72), Illinois (69), Ohio (66), Missouri (52), and the Northern Mariana Islands (9) are assigned. And while Ohio and Florida are attracting all of the attention, the Governor John Kasich's (R) and Senator Rubio's home turfs are just part of the 367 delegates on the line -- leaving plenty of wiggle room for any number of scenarios to play out.
Of course, the burning question on most people's minds is what the day will mean for the campaigns on the political ropes. While the Ohio governor is staying on his feet in the Buckeye state, polls tell a different story for Rubio. In the end, though, polls don't elect leaders -- people do! If you live in any of these states, get out there and vote your values. (But make sure you've read FRC Action's Presidential Voter Guide first!)
DISCLAIMER: Tony Perkins has made an endorsement in his individual and personal capacity only, and it should not be construed or interpreted in any way as the endorsement of FRC, FRC Action, or any affiliated entity.
