AP Photo/Marta Lavandier
The stage for Thursday's CNN GOP debate at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida.
Trump, the GOP presidential frontrunner, said that he's going for the "knockout punch" by winning Florida and Ohio, the two biggest winner-take-all states in terms of delegates. Both states vote next week.
Florida, the home state of Sen. Marco Rubio, is the largest winner-take-all state of the season. It awards 99 delegates to its victor. Rubio trails Trump there by roughly 15 points, according to the RealClearPolitics average of several polls.
The prospects seem a bit better for Ohio Gov. John Kasich in his home state. A recent Fox News poll had Kasich leading Trump by five points, and he trails Trump in the RealClearPolitics average by just 2.5%. The Buckeye State, with 66 delegates, is the second-largest winner-take-all primary for the GOP.
In terms of delegates, Rubio and Kasich are far behind Trump and the fourth candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who has won several primary contests against Trump. But Trump nevertheless holds a nearly 100-delegate lead over Cruz.
Thursday's CNN debate is likely the candidates' final opportunity to make an impression on many voters in the key states voting next Tuesday. The debate is moderated by CNN's Jake Tapper. It began at 8:30 p.m. and is being held at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida.
See below for updates:
More to come ...