(CNN) Ted Cruz won the Wisconsin Republican primary Tuesday, boosting his effort to blunt Donald Trump and moving the party closer to a historic contested convention.
Bernie Sanders, meanwhile, won the Democratic primary, inflicting a tough loss on front-runner Hillary Clinton and racking up his sixth win of the past seven state contests.
Moments from Ted Cruz's career
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican presidential candidate, speaks during a campaign rally at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on Monday, May 2.
Cruz holds up the hand of Carly Fiorina at a campaign rally in Indianapolis on Wednesday, April 27. Cruz named Fiorina, a former presidential candidate, as his running mate.
Cruz celebrates his Wisconsin primary win with his wife, Heidi, and Gov. Scott Walker in Milwaukee on Tuesday, April 5. Walker endorsed Cruz for the presidency.
With his wife by his side, Cruz tours the Dane Manufacturing facility before speaking to workers in Dane, Wisconsin, on Thursday, March 24.
Cruz speaks during the CNN Republican debate in Miami on Thursday, March 10.
Cruz and his wife wave to the crowd at Liberty University after he announced his presidential candidacy in Lynchburg, Virginia, on March 23, 2015.
Cruz speaks during the 2013 NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits at the George R. Brown Convention Center on May 3, 2013, in Houston, Texas.
Cruz poses with his wife, Heidi, and his daughters Caroline and Catherine.
Cruz (left) fields questions from Bruce Rastetter at the Iowa Ag Summit on March 7, 2015, in Des Moines, Iowa. The event allows the invited speakers, many of whom are potential 2016 Republican presidential hopefuls, to outline their views on agricultural issue.
Nobel Peace Laureate Elie Wiesel (left) listens as Cruz (right) speaks during a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill March 2, 2015 in Washington, D.C. Wiesel, Cruz and Rabbi Scmuley Boteach (center) participated in a discussion entitled 'The Meaning of Never Again: Guarding Against a Nuclear Iran.'
Governor Greg Abbott (center) speaks alongside Cruz (left), Attorney General Ken Paxton (right) at a joint press conference February 18, 2015, in Austin, Texas.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (right) escorts Loretta Lynch back from a lunch break as Cruz (left) sits nearby during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee January 28, 2015, on Capitol Hill.
Cruz greets supporters at the South Carolina Tea Party Coalition convention on January 18, 2015, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A variety of conservative presidential hopefuls spoke at the gathering on the second day of a three-day event.
Cruz (left) and then-Texas Governor Rick Perry stand together during a press conference at the front gate of Fort Hood about Iraq war veteran, Ivan Lopez, who killed three and wounded 16 before taking his own life on April 4, 2014, in Fort Hood, Texas.
(Left to right) Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. John McCain and Cruz listen as President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address on January 28, 2014, in Washington, D.C.
Then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (second right), poses with Republican senators-elect Jeff Flake (left), Deb Fischer (second left), and Cruz (right) at the U.S. Capitol on November 13, 2012, in Washington, D.C.
Cruz speaks to reporters on September 25, 2013, after ending his talk-a-thon on the floor of the US Senate in Washington, D.C.
Cruz speaks as then-Rep. Michele Bachmann (left), Sen. Mike Lee (second right) and Sen. Rand Paul (right) listen during a news conference May 16, 2013, on Capitol Hill.
Cruz listens to testimony during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on April 22, 2013, in Washington, D.C.
Cruz holds a news conference to announce the plan to defund Obamacare on March 13, 2013.
Cruz speaks at the CPAC on March 6, 2014, in National Harbor, Maryland.
Then-Senate Republican Candidate and Texas Solicitor General Cruz speaks at the 'Patriots for Romney-Ryan Reception' on August 29, 2012, in Tampa, Florida.
Then-Senate Republican Candidate and Texas Solicitor General Cruz speaks during the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 28, 2012.
Then-Senate Republican Candidate and Texas Solicitor General Cruz speaks during the Republican National Convention in 2012.
Cruz's victory, however, complicates Trump's drive toward the 1,237 pledged delegates he needs to capture the Republican nomination outright before the convention in Cleveland. It follows a rough week for Trump on the campaign trail that included missteps on abortion and controversial comments on national security.
Why Wisconsin hasn't warmed to Donald Trump
"Tonight is a turning point," Cruz declared at a victory rally in Milwaukee. "I am more and more convinced that our campaign is going to win the 1,237 delegates needed to win the Republican nomination. Either before Cleveland or at Cleveland ... we will win a majority of the delegates."
Cruz argued that his campaign was now responsible for "the full spectrum of the Republican Party coming together and uniting" and said he -- not Trump -- is most likely general election candidate.
"Hillary, get ready, here we come," Cruz said.
Cruz's Wisconsin victory was resounding, handing him at least 36 delegates compared to six that will go to Trump. Trump continues to dominate the delegate race, with 746 pledged delegates to 510 for Cruz and 145 for Ohio Gov. John Kasich, according to a CNN estimate.
The campaign now enters a stretch of states in the Northeast that favors Trump, including his own delegate-rich state of New York, which votes on April 19. But Trump would need to win 60% of the remaining pledged delegates to win the nomination.
Conservative radio hosts' influence seen in Trump's Wisconsin loss
Trump didn't hold his standard election night news conference but his campaign instead issued a defiant statement.
"Donald J. Trump withstood the onslaught of the establishment yet again," according to the statement. "Lyin' Ted Cruz had the Governor of Wisconsin, many conservative talk radio show hosts, and the entire party apparatus behind him. Not only was he propelled by the anti-Trump Super PAC's spending countless millions of dollars on false advertising against Mr. Trump, but he was coordinating `with his own Super PAC's (which is illegal) who totally control him. Ted Cruz is worse than a puppet--- he is a Trojan horse, being used by the party bosses attempting to steal the nomination from Mr. Trump."
Ted Cruz jokes about running over Donald Trump on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'
There is no evidence that Cruz and his super PAC coordinated on advertising.
The statement went on: "We have total confidence that Mr. Trump will go on to win in New York, where he holds a substantial lead in all the polls, and beyond. Mr. Trump is the only candidate who can secure the delegates needed to win the Republican nomination and ultimately defeat Hillary Clinton, or whomever is the Democratic nominee, in order to Make America Great Again."
Once favorable for Trump
Wisconsin was once seen as a favorable state for Trump since his criticism of global trade deals resonates with the state's manufacturing base, which has been hit by the migration of jobs to low-wage economies abroad.
But the state was also a ripe target for Cruz because it has a highly engaged conservative electorate and talk radio network that was energized by an endorsement from Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
Cruz only has a small mathematical chance of winning the nomination since a flurry of states voting before the end of April favor Trump. Kasich, who has won only one state, cannot reach the magic number in remaining contests.
Cruz, Trump look to block Kasich at convention
But both men hope to win sufficient delegates to stop Trump short of 1,237 delegates to open the way to a contested convention.
Facing the potential of a defeat in Wisconsin, and still trying to brush off his string of gaffes last week, Trump turned the focus Tuesday back to the issue that ignited his campaign in the first place: illegal immigration. He issued a memo outlining a plan to bar undocumented Mexican immigrants from wiring money home to relatives if Mexico's government did not agree to pay $5 billion to $10 billion to fund a border wall.
Democrats
On the Democratic side, Sanders is aiming to capitalize on a hot streak heading into the delegate-rich New York primary on April 19, where Clinton hopes to secure a win on home turf to maintain her big delegate lead.
He told an enthusiastic crowd in Laramie, Wyoming, that he has "momentum" and hailed the progress of a campaign he said was written off as "fringe" last year.
Sanders was also confident of his chances in New York, the state where he was born and that Clinton represented in the Senate.
"Please keep this a secret. Do not tell Secretary Clinton -- she is getting a little nervous and I don't want her to get more nervous -- but I believe we have got an excellent chance to win New York and a lot of delegates in that state," Sanders said.
Clinton tweeted congratulations to Sanders.
Earlier Tuesday, it was clear that Clinton was moving beyond Wisconsin. She held a "Women for Hillary" town hall meeting in Brooklyn where she focused squarely on Republicans and rebuked Trump for "peddling prejudice" about women and Muslims.
Clinton, Sanders to meet for Brooklyn debate
"I wish he'd get out of one of his towers and actually walk the streets and spend time with the people of this city," Clinton said.
CNN's Jeff Zeleny reported that Clinton also held a fundraiser in New York City on Tuesday night before returning to her home in Chappaqua to watch the results.
Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
US Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at a campaign rally in Chicago in March 2019. Sanders, an independent from Vermont, is the longest-serving independent in the history of Congress.
Sanders, right, leads a sit-in organized by the Congress of Racial Equality in 1962. The demonstration was staged to oppose housing segregation at the University of Chicago. It was Chicago's first civil rights sit-in.
Sanders takes the oath of office to become the mayor of Burlington, Vermont, in 1981. He ran as an independent and won the race by 10 votes.
Sanders, right, tosses a baseball before a minor-league game in Vermont in 1984. US Sen. Patrick Leahy, center, was also on hand.
In 1987, Sanders and a group of Vermont musicians recorded a spoken-word folk album. "We Shall Overcome" was first released as a cassette that sold about 600 copies. When Sanders entered the US presidential race in 2015,
the album surged in online sales. But at a CNN town hall, Sanders said, "It's the worst album ever recorded."
Sanders reads mail at his campaign office in Burlington in 1990. He was running for the US House of Representatives after an unsuccessful bid in 1988.
In 1990, Sanders defeated US Rep. Peter Smith in the race for Vermont's lone House seat. He won by 16 percentage points.
Sanders sits next to President Bill Clinton in 1993 before the Congressional Progressive Caucus held a meeting at the White House. Sanders co-founded the caucus in 1991 and served as its first chairman.
Barack Obama, then a US senator, endorses Sanders' Senate bid at a rally in Burlington in 2006.
Sanders takes part in a swearing-in ceremony at the US Capitol in January 2007. He won his Senate seat with 65% of the vote.
Sanders chats with Dr. John Matthew, director of The Health Center in Plainfield, Vermont, in May 2007. Sanders was in Plainfield to celebrate a new source of federal funding for The Health Center.
Sanders speaks to reporters in 2010 about the Obama administration's push to extend Bush-era tax cuts. Three days later, Sanders held a filibuster against the reinstatement of the tax cuts. His speech, which lasted more than eight hours, was published in book form in 2011. It is called "The Speech: A Historic Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the Decline of Our Middle Class."
Sanders and US Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, walk to a news conference on Capitol Hill in 2014. Sanders was chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
In March 2015, Sanders speaks in front of letters and petitions asking Congress to reject proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
In July 2015, two months after announcing he would be seeking the Democratic Party's nomination for President, Sanders
spoke to nearly 10,000 supporters in Madison, Wisconsin. "Tonight we have made a little bit of history," he said. "You may know that some 25 candidates are running for President of the United States, but tonight we have more people at a meeting for a candidate for President of the United States than any other candidate has."
Seconds after Sanders took the stage for a campaign rally in August 2015, a dozen protesters from Seattle's Black Lives Matter chapter
jumped barricades and grabbed the microphone from the senator. Holding a banner that said "Smash Racism," two of the protesters -- Marissa Johnson, left, and Mara Jacqueline Willaford -- began to address the crowd.
Sanders shakes hands with Hillary Clinton at a Democratic debate in Las Vegas in October 2015. The hand shake came after Sanders' take on
the Clinton email scandal. "Let me say something that may not be great politics, but the secretary is right -- and that is that the American people are sick and tired of hearing about the damn emails," Sanders said. "Enough of the emails, let's talk about the real issues facing the United States of America."
Sanders embraces Remaz Abdelgader, a Muslim student, during an October 2015 event at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Asked what he would do about Islamophobia in the United States, Sanders said he was determined to fight racism and "build a nation in which we all stand together as one people."
Sanders waves while walking in a Veterans Day parade in Lebanon, New Hampshire, in November 2015.
Sanders sits with rapper and activist Killer Mike at the Busy Bee Cafe in Atlanta in November 2015. That evening, Killer Mike
introduced Sanders at a campaign event in the city. "I'm talking about a revolutionary," the rapper told supporters. "In my heart of hearts, I truly believe that Sen. Bernie Sanders is the right man to lead this country."
Sanders speaks at a campaign rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in March 2016. He
won the state's primary the next day, an upset that delivered a sharp blow to Clinton's hopes of quickly securing the nomination.
Sanders speaks at a campaign event in New York's Washington Square Park in April 2016.
Sanders speaks at a rally in Santa Monica, California, in June 2016. He pledged to stay in the Democratic race even though Clinton secured the delegates she needed to become the presumptive nominee.
Sanders
endorses Clinton at a rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in July 2016.
Sanders
addresses delegates on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in July 2016.
Sanders thanks supporters after winning re-election to the Senate in November 2018.
Sanders looks at his notes as he watches President Trump deliver the State of the Union address in February 2019. That month, Sanders announced that he would be running for president again.
Sanders hugs a young supporter during a campaign rally in Los Angeles in March 2019.
Sanders addresses the audience at a CNN town hall in Washington in April 2019.
Sanders speaks next to former Vice President Joe Biden at the first Democratic debates in June 2019.
Sanders raises his fist as he holds a rally in Santa Monica, California, in July 2019.
Sanders grabs the hand of US Sen. Elizabeth Warren during the Democratic debates in Detroit in July 2019.
Sanders campaigns at the University of New Hampshire in September 2019. A few days later,
he took himself off the campaign trail after doctors treated a blockage in one of his arteries. Sanders suffered a heart attack, his campaign confirmed.
US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduces Sanders at a New York rally after endorsing him for president in October 2019.
In a
tense and dramatic exchange moments after a Democratic debate, Warren accused Sanders of calling her a liar on national television. Sanders responded that it was Warren who called him a liar. Earlier in the debate, the two disagreed on whether Sanders told Warren, during a private dinner in 2018, that he didn't believe a woman could win the presidency.
Sanders laughs during a primary-night rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, in February 2020. Sanders won
the primary, just as he did in 2016.
A triumphant Sanders raises his fist in San Antonio after he was projected to win
the Nevada caucuses.
Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden talk before a Democratic debate in Charleston, South Carolina, in February 2020.
Sanders addresses supporters during a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in March 2020.
Sanders speaks to reporters in Burlington, Vermont, a day after
Super Tuesday II. Sanders said it "was not a good night for our campaign from a delegate point of view" but that he looked forward to staying in the race and taking on Joe Biden in an upcoming debate.
Biden greets Sanders with an elbow bump before the start of a debate in Washington in March 2020. They went with an elbow bump instead of a handshake because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The former secretary of state is under intense pressure to match the fundraising juggernaut that is the Sanders campaign. The Vermont senator outraised her by $15 million in March with his haul of $44 million -- one reason, alongside his string of primary victories, why he has no incentive to get out of the race.
Still, he has a more complicated task than Cruz in slowing his party's front-runner, since Democratic delegates are doled out on a proportional basis rather than the winner-take-most formula used in Wisconsin by Republicans.
And Sanders' vulnerabilities on issues beyond his core economic talking points were on display in an interview with the New York Daily News editorial board that was published Monday. The interview showed him having difficulty answering some questions about both foreign and domestic policy.
Clinton and Sanders are chasing their magic number of 2,383 delegates to win the nomination. Clinton currently has 1,778 total delegates while Sanders has 1,097 delegates, according to a CNN estimate.