Brokered convention possible to decide Republican nominee

367 delegate votes were up for grabs in Tuesday’s Republican primary.

“Ordinarily by this time, in one or both of the parties, one of the candidates are starting the victory parade,” said Dr. Terry Smith, a political science professor at Columbia College. “But now at this point, nobody is even close to a majority of the delegates. That’s what’s exciting about it.”

A brokered convention in July is possible if none of the candidates have secured the necessary 1,237 delegate votes in the first ballot.

The presidential nomination would then be decided by the delegates in another vote.

Governor John Kasich won his home state of Ohio taking home 66 delegate votes Tuesday night. Senator Mark Rubio dropped out of the presidential race after losing the vote in his home state, Florida.

After Tuesday’s election, Trump now has 619 delegate votes. Senator Ted Cruz reached 394 votes and Kasich doubled his votes after winning Ohio. He now has 136 delegate votes.

Dr. Smith said Trump’s lead could help him in the event of a brokered convention.

“It would be very difficult for him to be denied the nomination.”

Although the Republican candidate pool has dwindled down to three, none of the candidates have reached the magic number of votes.

“The fewer the candidates there are, the easier the process becomes to determine a Republican nominee,” said MikeZweifel,Chair of Boone County Republicans Central Committee. “At this point every delegate does count.”