[Solecismic]

I thought we could use items dedicated to the primary issues. Candidacies, polls, issues, attitudes.

As always, let's try to keep these items pleasant.

Candidates...

Donald Trump, former host of Celebrity Apprentice, formerly in Reform Party and Democratic Party, now Republican. Now the presumptive Republican nominee.

John Kasich, former Congressman from Ohio, current Governor of Ohio. Withdrew on Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with him).

Ted Cruz, current Senator from Texas. Withdrew on 5/3/16.

Marco Rubio, current Senator from Florida. Withdrew on 3/22/16.

Dr. Ben Carson, neurosurgeon, M.D. from The University of Michigan. Withdrew on 3/2/16. Endorsed Donald Trump.

Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida, former President's Brother, former President's Son. Withdrew on Freedom Day, 2016. Endorsed Ted Cruz.

Jim Gilmore, former Virginia Attorney General, former Governor of Virginia. Withdrew on 2/12/2016.

Chris Christie, current Governor of New Jersey. Withdrew on 2/10/16. Endorsed Donald Trump.

Carly Fiorina, former CEO of HP. Withdrew on 2/10/16. Endorsed Ted Cruz. Became his VP candidate.

Rand Paul, current Senator from Kentucky. Withdrew on 2/3/16.

Rick Santorum, former Senator from Pennsylvania. Withdrew on 2/3/16. Endorsed Marco Rubio.

Mike Huckabee, television host, former Governor of Arkansas. Withdrew on 2/1/16.

George Pataki, former Mayor of Peekskill, former Governor of New York. Withdrew on 12/29/15. Endorsed Marco Rubio.

Lindsey Graham, current Senator from South Carolina. Withdrew on 12/21/15. Endorsed Ted Cruz.

Bobby Jindal, former Congressman from Louisiana, current Governor of Louisiana. Withdrew on 11/17/15. Endorsed Marco Rubio.

Scott Walker, current Governor of Wisconsin. Withdrew on 9/21/15. Endorsed Ted Cruz.

Rick Perry, former Governor of Texas, former Democrat. Withdrew on 9/11/15. Endorsed Ted Cruz.

Cruz won Iowa on February 1, with Trump second and Rubio a close third. Carson was a distant fourth and Paul was fifth.

Trump won New Hampshire on February 9 by a wide margin. Kasich was second, Cruz edged out Bush for third. Rubio was a close fifth and Christie was sixth (prompting his exit from the race).

Trump won South Carolina on February 20 by a wide margin. Rubio and Cruz were pretty much tied for second. Bush edged Kasich for fourth and Carson was sixth. Bush left the race that evening.

Trump won Nevada on February 23 by a wide margin. Rubio was second and Cruz a close third.

On Super Tuesday, March 1, Trump won Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia. Cruz won the big prize of the night, Texas, by a wide margin. He also won Oklahoma and Alaska. Rubio won Minnesota. Carson scored about 3 of the 595 delegates for the evening, and left the race the next day.

On March 5, Trump won Kentucky and Louisana, while Cruz won Kansas and Maine.

On March 6, Rubio won Puerto Rico.

On March 8, Trump won Hawai'i, Michigan and Mississippi, while Cruz won Idaho.

On March 12, Rubio won the District of Columbia.

On March 15, Trump won Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and the Northern Marianas while Kasich won Ohio. Rubio dropped out of the race.

On March 22, Trump won Arizona while Cruz won Utah.

Since then, Cruz has been winning the caucuses while Trump wins the primaries. Trump will have at least a large plurality entering the convention, though it's still up in the air whether he'll have a majority of the delegates.

The first round of debates was August 6, in Cleveland, on Fox News.

The second round of debates was September 16, in Simi Valley, CA., on CNN.

There have been ten debates since. Notably, Trump skipped the seventh debate in Des Moines on Fox News as part of his long-running feud with Megyn Kelly. Trump was also responsible for the cancellation of the 13th debate, also presumably part of this feud.

On May 3, Trump led in the delegate count with 1057 to Cruz's 570. Rubio had 173 and Kasich 157. Control of 1,237 delegates is needed to win.

With a strong win in Indiana and Cruz's withdrawal, Trump became the presumptive nominee on May 3, almost exactly nine months after the race began.