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On the eve of a crucial primary in Wisconsin, the last remaining candidates in the Democratic and Republican contests fought to prove their viability, with each would-be Oval Office occupant facing stiff headwinds against that claim.

Bernie Sanders speaks at a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photograph: Mark Kauzlarich/Reuters

On the Democratic side, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders is sitting pretty in Wisconsin, but he’ll need to win nearly 60% of the remaining delegates to clinch the party’s nomination. Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton has superdelegates on her side, but she’s finished her third straight month behind Sanders in fundraising, and just capitulated on an additional debate only five days before the New York primary.

Things only get fiercer in the Republican race. Donald Trump is starting down the barrel of an embarrassing loss in Wisconsin, which severely hampers his ability to win a 1,237-delegate majority before the conclusion of the primary process. Texas senator Ted Cruz is actively calling on fellow candidate John Kasich to drop out, lest he serve as a spoiler who sends the party into July without a clear nominee. How bad is it? Republicans are reportedly contemplating drafting Speaker of the House Paul Ryan to serve as a “unity nominee.”

Ahead of the Wisconsin primaries, here’s a wrap-up of the biggest news in campaign politics today:

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, for one, is not onboard the “Draft Ryan” movement - at least, not yet. “I decided not to run for president,” Ryan told the Times of Israel this weekend during a visit to Jerusalem. “I think you should run if you’re going to be president.” He later doubled down on the comments, telling Hugh Hewitt that “if you want to be president, you should go run for president.” Of course, Ryan was similarly disinterested in seeking the House speakership when the Republican congressional majority was in chaos after the resignation of John Boehner, so take that firm denial with a grain of salt.

for one, is not onboard the “Draft Ryan” movement - at least, not yet. “I decided not to run for president,” Ryan told the Times of Israel this weekend during a visit to Jerusalem. “I think you should run if you’re going to be president.” He later doubled down on the comments, telling Hugh Hewitt that “if you want to be president, you should go run for president.” Of course, Ryan was similarly disinterested in seeking the House speakership when the Republican congressional majority was in chaos after the resignation of John Boehner, so take that firm denial with a grain of salt. Ted Cruz , for one, is bearish on a Ryan nomination. Talking with reporters in the basement of a Masonic Center in Madison, Wisconsin, Cruz declared that “this fevered pipe dream of Washington, that at the convention they would parachute in some white knight who will save the Washington establishment, it is nothing less than a pipe dream: It ain’t gonna happen. If it did happen, the people would quite rightly revolt.”



, for one, is bearish on a Ryan nomination. Talking with reporters in the basement of a Masonic Center in Madison, Wisconsin, Cruz declared that “this of Washington, that at the convention they would parachute in some white knight who will save the Washington establishment, it is nothing less than a pipe dream: It ain’t gonna happen. If it did happen, the people would quite rightly revolt.” At least eight people were able to agree on voting-related matters today - although not everyone is pleased about it. The supreme court unanimously rejected a conservative challenge to voting rights – ruling that states could count the total population, not just eligible voters, in drawing legislative districts. The case was brought before the court after conservative activists challenged the legal principle of “one person, one vote”, which has long established that election districts should be drawn to be equal in population.

– ruling that states could count the total population, not just eligible voters, in drawing legislative districts. The case was brought before the court after conservative activists challenged the legal principle of “one person, one vote”, which has long established that election districts should be drawn to be equal in population. The New York Observer has now pledged to cover billionaire Republican frontrunner Donald Trump “in the same way they cover every other candidate in the presidential race,” despite Trump being the father-in-law of the paper’s owner Jared Kushner . The pledge comes after a high-profile flap in which New York Magazine revealed that editor-in-chief Ken Kurson had assisted Trump in writing his high-profile speech in front of the Aipac Policy Conference last month.



has now pledged to cover billionaire Republican frontrunner “in the same way they cover every other candidate in the presidential race,” despite Trump being the father-in-law of the paper’s owner . The pledge comes after a high-profile flap in which New York Magazine revealed that editor-in-chief Ken Kurson had assisted Trump in writing his high-profile speech in front of the Aipac Policy Conference last month. Speaking to a relatively sparse crowd in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, Melania Trump made a rare campaign appearance to advocate on behalf of her billionaire husband with a laundry list of qualities that she said make him “a good leader.”

That’s it for today - tune in tomorrow for up-to-the-minute coverage of the critical Wisconsin primaries from our team of brilliant political reporters, analysts and opinion writers.