It's The Midwest's Turn

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, March 19) -- Sen. Robert Dole looks for another sweep today as Republican voters in the Midwest get their chance to say yes to the man from Kansas.

Dole, according to voter surveys, is poised to win the lion's share of 219 delegates to be selected in four states: Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Even if he runs as well as expected, however, it doesn't look like Dole can collect enough delegates to officially boost him to the 996 he needs to actually win the GOP nomination. That must wait another week, until the giant, winner-take-all primary in California on March 26.

Both Dole and his last major remaining rival, Pat Buchanan, stumped in Michigan Monday. Dole, however, remained focused on the expected fall battle with President Bill Clinton.

"This is not about personalities, not about one generation against another," Dole told a crowd in Grand Rapids. "It's about America and where do we want to go and who do we want to take us there."

A poll conducted for the Detroit Free Press and TV stations WXYZ and WDIV showed Dole with 48 percent to Buchanan's 24 percent.

Here are tonight's poll closing times:

• Illinois (59 delegates): 7 p.m. CST, 8 p.m. EST
• Michigan (57 delegates) 8 p.m. EST (5 counties 9 p.m. EST)
• Ohio (67 delegates) 7:30 p.m. EST
• Wisconsin (36 delegates) 8 p.m. CST, 9 p.m. EST

CNN's live coverage of the Industrial Heartland primaries begins at 7 p.m. EST.