More than 1,300 delegates — or about a third of the total — are at play on Super Tuesday.
ADVERTISEMENTFourteen states and one territory will hold nominating contests for president on Tuesday, the most pivotal day on the presidential primary calendar.
More than 1,300 delegates — about a third of the total — are at play on Super Tuesday, more than on any other day in the primary election.
The results could prove consequential for the Democratic field, giving one candidate — possibly Bernie Sanders — a definitive lead in the race for the 1,991 delegatesneeded to secure the Democratic nomination. Or multiple candidates could qualify for delegates by getting 15 percent of the vote statewide and congressional districts, prolonging the primary and making the possibility of a contested convention more likely.
Meanwhile, the contests in California and Texas, which have the largest delegate hauls, will show which candidates can pull together diverse coalitions.
Sanders, I-Vt., is looking to maintain his front-runner status after former Vice President Joe Biden's landslide win in South Carolina, which was largely dependent on the African-American vote. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., meanwhile, will need stronger finishes or face more pressure to bow out, as former South Bend, Indianapolis, Mayor Pete Buttigiegand billionaire Tom Steyer did after South Carolina's results. And former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg will see whether his unconventional, late-entry strategy to forgo the first four nominating contests and focus on Super Tuesday states has paid off.
Highlights of NBC News' Super Tuesday coverage
Download the NBC News app for full coverage and alerts on the latest news.
22486