(Story updated Wednesday at 11:10 a.m. ET.)
Although the Republican field narrowed Tuesday night, it got a little messier with a primary upset in Ohio. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton continued to firm up her likelihood of winning the Democratic nomination.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who went against the party line when he expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, allowing up to 454,000 additional people to receive coverage, won his home state primary contest. It is the only state he has won, and he still trails significantly in delegates, but the outcome does leave the door open to a contested Republican convention.
“We are going to go all the way to Cleveland and secure the Republican nomination,” Kasich said.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, who disappointed many Republicans by not running for president, told CNBC Tuesday that he is not ruling out accepting the nomination at a contested convention. On Wednesday, a Ryan spokesman said he would not accept a nomination.
In a victory speech in Ohio, Kasich said he has helped improve the economy in his home state while also cutting taxes. He also gave a slight reference to his decision to expand Medicaid in the state.
“We are leaving no one behind,” he said. “Not the mentally ill, the drug addicted or the working poor.”
Front-runner Donald Trump won the key Florida primary and all of the state's 99 delegates. He also had victories in North Carolina and Illinois. His victory speech in Florida focused on campaign tactics and his general push for America to “win again.”
After a devastating loss in his home state, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio suspended his campaign. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, despite a disappointing night, painted himself as the only alternative to Trump and once again promised to “repeal every word of” the ACA.
Clinton, with wins in Florida, Illinois, North Carolina and Ohio, increased to a substantial delegate lead that will be difficult for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to overcome.
In her speech, Clinton did not specifically mention healthcare. She took shots at her Democratic rival, saying candidates should be clear and direct about what their plans will cost and what they could accomplish. Economists have said Sanders' Medicare-for-all plan makes incorrect assumptions and doesn't add up.
She also borrowed some of Sanders' lines about income inequality, overpaid executives and Wall Street overreach. She took aim at Trump as well, panning his comments accepting use of torture.
Exit polling showed healthcare as a minor issue this week, just as it did in Super Tuesday primary states.
In North Carolina, 22% of Democratic voters said healthcare is the most important issue and 57% of them voted for Clinton. One in four Florida Democratic primary voters chose healthcare as their top issue and 68% of them went for Clinton.
Nearly 80% in Florida and North Carolina said Clinton's policies are realistic, compared to 52% who felt the same about Sanders' policies in North Carolina and 47% in Florida.
