Apollonian
Guest Columnist
2016 California Republican Primary Results: Trump Wins
Apparently calls to write-in Ronald Reagan never got traction.
Link: http://patch.com/california/alameda...ry-results-will-there-be-protest-vote-against
2016 California Republican Primary Results: Trump Wins2016 California Republican Primary Results: Trump Wins
Alameda, CA
By Colin Miner (Patch Staff) - June 7, 2016 11:58 pm ET
Donald Trump has won California.
The polls are closed and now he has a big lead.
With ten percent in, Trump has 77.8 percent of the vote compared to Ohio Governor John Kasich with 11.2 percent and Texas Senator Ted Cruz had 7.5 percent.
The question was never really in doubt as all of his opponents dropped out but he did make it interesting
He went into Tuesday's primary having shrugged off complaints that he is alienating voters by personally attacking the federal judge overseeing a lawsuit against him in San Diego.
In appearance after appearance over the weekend, he even doubled and tripled down on those attacks.
As a result, the San Diego Union-Tribune urged people to write in Ronald Reagan on Tuesday.
CHECK OUT ALL THE ELECTION RESULTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY
And in a move that could have inspired to register protest votes, as Californians started headed to the polls, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan held a press conference where he called Trump's comments, "textbook racist."
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And for those who don't want to write in Reagan, there are also four other candidates who have dropped out of the race but are still on the ballot: Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Jim Gilmore, and John Kasich.
So, while Trump is expected to win easily, there is the question of what kind of protest vote might emerge.
The question will be does Trump - who is technically unopposed - cross 80 percent.
Even with Trump as the presumptive nominee, Republican registration has surged by more than 100,000 in the past two months.
And while Trump has been uncharacteristically quiet on Twitter on Tuesday - as of 12:45 p.m. Pacific, he had not tweeted once - his supporters in California have been taking to social media to indicate their support.
Glenn Nesbit, of Orange County, cast his vote for Trump Monday afternoon at the community room of a neighborhood park in Garden Grove.
"He’s the lesser of two evils,” said Nesbit. “I’m deathly afraid of Hillary. It can’t be Clinton. I don’t think that would be in citizens’ best interests."
Meanwhile, some people are still hoping for a different choice.
"I wish people would understand that there are other options if they don't like either the Democrats or Republicans," Riverside County resident Linda Hoffman said. "Hopefully, other parties will get more coverage once the primary is over."
Polls open at 7 a.m. and closed at 8 p.m.