Biden, Trump win Illinois primaries

CHICAGO - Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have won enough delegates to be called presumptive presidential nominees.

Biden reached that point on March 12 after he won Georgia’s primary and enough of the state’s delegates to put him above the 1,968 needed to lock up the nomination.

Trump clinched later that day, winning enough delegates to exceed the 1,215 he needed to claim the Republican nomination. Trump won in Georgia and Mississippi before a victory in Washington put him over the top.

Both nominations will be made official at this summer’s national party conventions. Candidates usually earn delegates based on their performance in a state’s primary or caucus. Republican delegate rules vary by state, but their system overall tends to favor frontrunners and makes it harder for trailing candidates to win delegates – particularly in later contests. Democrats award delegates proportionally in every state, making it easier for trailing candidates to pick up delegates.

There is no longer any doubt that the fall election will feature a rematch between two flawed and unpopular presidents. At 81, Biden is already the oldest president in U.S. history, while the 77-year-old Trump is facing decades in prison as a defendant in four criminal cases. Their rematch — the first featuring two U.S. presidents since 1912 — will almost certainly deepen the nation’s searing political and cultural divides over the eight-month grind that lies ahead.

Illinois Primary Results by County

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