Bernie Sanders faces a rough road ahead, as several Clinton-favored states in the Northeast host primaries on Tuesday. In Maryland, Clinton holds a 20-point lead over Sanders. Just yesterday, she received an endorsement from The Baltimore Sun.
Each of the four other states voting on Tuesday have similar stories: Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Sanders faces a firewall of institutional support for Hillary Clinton. Other obstacles make for an even rougher road for the Vermont senator, including closed primaries and demographics.
Thus far, Sanders has done best in states that don’t require voters to be Democrats in order to participate. Four states up for grabs on Tuesday have closed primaries, a format that Clinton has done well with.
Sanders may be able to secure a few wins on Tuesday, and the race may be tight in Pennsylvania. Sanders has outspent Clinton on radio and television advertising, so that may boost his supporter base. Even his best-case scenario would still do little to make a dent in the commanding lead Clinton has in pledged delegates.
May looks to be more promising for the senator, when states like West Virginia, Oregon and Indiana host their primaries. Sanders’ campaign plans to go all the way to the convention, and many states along the way favor the underdog candidate.
