US presidential campaign heads to Wisconsin next week

The US state of Wisconsin is the next destination for the presidential nominating contests, as the state’s April 5 primary elections are seen as a make-or-break for the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates.

Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders whose campaign was boosted by landslide wins in Alaska, Washington and Hawaii, is hoping to cut further into Hillary Clinton’s lead in next week’s elections.

However, the US senator from Vermont still faces a steep uphill battle against the former secretary of state.

Sanders believes his recent string of victories shows he can not only win the Democratic nomination, but also succeed in the general presidential election against the Republican nominee.

On the Republican side, frontrunner Donald Trump faces intensified efforts by his two remaining rivals, Ted Cruz and John Kasich.

Cruz and Kasich both want to put a roadblock on the controversial billionaire’s drive to secure the Republican nomination for president.

A defeat for Trump in Wisconsin would increase the likelihood of a contested convention this summer.

Trump is scheduled to arrive in Janesville, Wisconsin for a rally on Tuesday. Six demonstrators were arrested Monday night in an anti-Trump protest there.

According to a CNN/ORC survey earlier this month, Sanders has a 20-point lead over Trump in a head-to-head contest. Clinton held a 12-point lead over Trump in the same survey.

Sanders has long been critical of US foreign policy and was an early opponent of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Clinton tends to be more hawkish and inclined to use military force.

Sanders, 74, is also a leading proponent of issues such as income inequality, universal healthcare, parental leave, climate change, and campaign finance reform in the US.

However, the incomes of Bill and Hillary Clinton put them at the upper end of the top 0.1 percent of earners in the US population, according to government data. The exorbitant pay for light work can distance them from the realities most Americans experience at their jobs.