Pennsylvania Republican Primary: Donald Trump Wins

Republican Donald Trump has won the Pennsylvania Republican primary, the Associated Press has projected. Trump is also projected to win Delaware, Rhode Island, Maryland, and Connecticut, the AP says.

Polls closed at 8 p.m. in Pennsylvania, where voters in five states cast their ballots in several contests, including the 2016 presidential primary and a hotly contested U.S. Senate race.

Follow the delegate situation as results come in with this tracker from the Associated Press.

Here are live Election Day updates:

10:21 p.m. With nearly all precincts in Philadelphia reporting, Donald Trump has officially won 57.8 of the city's vote. Cruz earned 21 percent and Kasich won 18.2 percent.

10:04 p.m. During his victory speech Tuesday night, Trump said he was "surprised" by his margin of victory in many states. In Pennsylvania, Trump has 57.8 percent of the vote with half of all precincts reporting. "I consider myself the presumptive nominee," he added.

9:43 p.m. Trump's apparent dominance in Pennsylvania bodes well for him in Indiana. "Indiana is not only make-or-break for #NeverTrump, it’s looking harder and harder given the results we’re seeing in demographically similar parts of Pennsylvania so far," said FiveThirtyEight analyst David Wasserman.

8:47 p.m. MSNBC political corespondent Steve Kornacki described the demographic support for Trump across the conservative spectrum, according to exit polls. Trump dominates moderate, somewhat conservative, and very conservative voters.

8:38 p.m. Election results for Pennsylvania's delegates to the Republican National Convention should be coming in soon, CNN reports.

8:31 p.m. Acclaimed statistician Nate Silver notes that Trump may have won more than half of the vote in Pennsylvania Tuesday.

8:22 p.m. Ted Cruz, speaking at a rally in Indiana, urged voters to stop what the media has preordained as a Trump nomination. "Tonight, this campaign moves back to more favorable terrain," the Texan said, as he focuses on upcoming votes May 3 in Indiana, May 10 in Nebrask and June 7 in Montana and New Mexico. Cruz told the audience he has a major announcement on vice presidential vetting. Hillary Clinton has picked Donald Trump as her vice presidential nominee, he joked. When Trump was recently asked to name the top functions of federal government, he said security, health care, education and housing. Clinton would agree with those priorities, Cruz said, to boos from the crowd. “Donald and Hillary are flip sides of the same coin,” Cruz said.

8:12 p.m. The Associated Press has called Pennsylvania for Donald Trump.

8:06 p.m. According to the Washington Post, Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey voted for Ted Cruz on Tuesday.

7:37 p.m. Polls close at 8 p.m. but polling officials confirm that anyone who is in line before 8 p.m. will still be able to vote, even if it after 8 by the time they get to the booth.

6:52 p.m. It's not just Philadelphia that seems to be getting steady voter turnout. Voters in Collegeville said that lines have been "steady" throughout the day. One Ardmore voter expressed the importance of voting in the primaries, especially given rumors that young people are not as engaged this election cycle. "I register for a party specifically to have the opportunity to vote in the primary. Otherwise, I miss an important opportunity to have a say in this country's future," said Kyle Murray. He also noted that primaries give voters the chance to get a head start on learning about candidates for November. "It can be so hard to drudge through the bias (in the media), so the earlier one can start on that process, the better."

5:19 p.m. Exit polls indicate Trump is well on his way to coming home with a decisive victory in Pennsylvania, Oregon Live reports. More than a third of Keystone State voters are reportedly excited about a Trump presidency, while 93 percent are "worried" about the economy, a touchstone of Trump's platform. Cruz may win one or two congressional districts, according to the report's early exit polls.

5:12 p.m. Kasich, who was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, returned to his hometown on Tuesday to campaign, according to his official website. "Support Our Native Son," signs read at a well-attended rally. He mentioned in a speech that Pennsylvanians are "common sense" and that he wanted to bring "Pittsburgh values" to the White House, according to CBS.

5:01 p.m. Voter turnout is "heavier than usual" in parts of Philadelphia, 6 ABC reports. In the Overbook section of the city, there were lines at all voting booths in the afternoon.

2:30 p.m. Voters at the polls Tuesday expressed interest that voting in Pennsylvania held significance as late the end of April. "It is exciting to be a part of a primary that matters this year in (Pennsylvania)," said David Philbrook, of Phoenixville, who did not say who he had voted for. "You get excited to vote. I'm not die-hard for this guy or that guy or for anyone but I'm still excited to vote."

1:25 p.m. The National Weather Service is calling for severe thunderstorms during the evening hours. Voters should bring an umbrella if they're headed out between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., when the polls close.

12:47 p.m. It looks like Bernie Sanders has a unlikely ally in his quest for the White House. Donald Trump tweeted his support for Sanders Tuesday, saying the Senator from Vermont has been treated "terribly" his party. "He should show them, and run as an Independent!," Trump said via Twitter.

12:04 p.m. All three candidates are courting Pennsylvania's 54 unbound delegates, CNN reports. Many of those delegates have already pledged their support to John Kasich or Ted Cruz. Trump is openly campaigning for 41 delegate candidates, and handed out a slate Monday night in West Chester.

Monday night Trump held a rally at West Chester University on Monday during which he lambasted John Kasich for staying in the race and making fun of the way he ate. "This is a guy who's a stubborn guy, who eats like a slob," Trump said. "By the way, did you ever see a man eat like this? He's shoving pancakes...it's coming out of his mouth...I've never seen it before. It's not presidential." Trump also eviscerated Kasich and Ted Cruz as "two grown politicians" who were "pathetic" for colluding to prevent his nomination.

For the first time in recent history, the Pennsylvania primary actually means something. In fact, it means a lot.

Frontrunner Donald Trump looked to capitalize on his recent dominating victory in New York over Ted Cruz and John Kasich. Trump won a commanding 60 percent of the popular vote and earned 89 of the 93 available delegates, with 4 going to Kasich.

And according to an average of polls on RealClearPolitics, Trump was always positioned to come away with another landslide in Pennsylvania, as he leads the field by 19 points. A double-digit victory would be important for Trump because of Pennsylvania’s unique delegate allocation process.

Trump leads the overall delegate count with 849, trailed by Cruz with 559 and Kasich with 148. Trump needs 392 of the remaining 733 delegates to secure the nomination.

However, Pennsylvania does not distribute all of its 71 delegates based on the primary vote. Due to a unique loophole, a candidate can win a majority of the popular vote and only receive a small portion of the available delegates. What this means is even if Trump could win a little as 17 or as many as 71 delegates.

How will the delegate allocation situation in Pennsylvania affect the election?

For Trump, it means that a convincing victory could be invaluable in getting those 54 unbound delegates to sway his way, according to Susan Liebell, Associate Professor of Political Science at St. Joseph’s University. Kasich, meanwhile, is banking on these delegates to ensure a contested convention and a second ballot, on which he thinks he has a better shot.

Just over half of Pennsylvania’s unbound delegates have told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that they would support the winner of the popular vote in the area of the state which they represent. In a more recent poll by Allentown’s Morning Call, only about a third of delegates said they would support the winner no matter what.

Some have expressed frustration that the Pennsylvania layout undermines democracy, but experts say that for a Republican Party focused on November, these rules are logical.

“Pennsylvania has rules that make terrific sense for Party Republicans who want to win elections,” said Liebell. “Republicans -- as a party -- should aim to elect the person who can win for their party in November. In Pennsylvania, the Republicans are asking their party members to elect a delegate who can look at all the evidence and decide who will win. PA's system will make PA an important player at the convention.”

It also makes the Pennsylvania primary even more important than it is at first glance, because even moderate gains by Cruz or Kasich could potentially lure more delegates their way.

“If the ‘not Trump’ forces gain ground, those delegates are available, and Trump could (still) win big but lose those delegates on the convention floor, ending his chances for avoiding a contested convention,” Liebell added.

Pennsylvania is important for Trump for another reason: its relative proximity could help him win the wildcard Indiana primary on May 3, whose 57 delegates could swing the race in either direction. If Trump loses Indiana, the convention will almost certainly be contested.

Is there any chance of a Kasich or Cruz upset in Pennsylvania?

It’s highly unlikely, according to renowned statistician Nate Silver. Trump has an 87 percent chance of winning the Keystone State. Experts, however, agree that Kasich’s result could be harder to predict, and those extra points could matter down the line.

“The only surprise might be a little higher vote for Kasich,” Liebell said.”Most PA polls are showing Kasich between 23-26 percent currently -- which isn't much of a stand-out given his performance in NY (25 percent).”

Montgomery County Community College Professor of History and Political Science Emeritus, Lawrence Backlund, agrees.

“Pennsylvania will go for Trump, but Kasich will do better than expected,” he said.

“Kasich came to Pennsylvania the day after he won Ohio,” said Matthew Kerbel, professor and chair at the Villanova University Department of Political Science. “He believes he will have appeal among moderate Republicans in the Philadelphia region.”

The last time the Pennsylvania primary was so important for Republicans was 1976, when incumbent Gerald Ford narrowly battled off an insurgent named Ronald Reagan.

Ultimately, Pennsylvania will be another battleground for the competing factions of the Republican party. In recent years, the state has strongly supported establishment candidates like Mitt Romney (2012), John McCain (2008), and George W. Bush (2000).

“There are the conservatives and then there are the non-ideological, anti-establishment, anti-elite,” Kerbel said. “If you nominate Donald Trump, traditional conservatives have nowhere to go. But if you don’t, you alienate the primary voters who supported him.”

In the general election, Pennsylvania has leaned Democratic in every Presidential race since 1992, yet it is still considered a swing state due to the typically small margin of victory.

Other primaries on Tuesday include Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Rhode Island.

After Tuesday's primaries, the following contests remain on the calendar: Indiana (May 3); Nebraska and West Virginia (May 10); Oregon (May 17); Washington (May 24); and California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota (June 7).

The Republican National Convention is in Cleveland from July 18 through July 21.

Polls are open in Pennsylvania from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on April 26. Click here to find your polling location.