Trump Victorious in New York Primary

The state's Republicans hand a decisive win to the Queens native.

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

April 19 2016 5:07 PM EST

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Donald Trump didn't disappoint on Tuesday, winning the Republican primary in his native New York.

The GOP presidential frontrunner -- especially known for his xenophobic and sexist invectives -- came out ahead of Texas senator Ted Cruz and Ohio governor John Kasich, NBC News reports. The primary was closed, meaning only registered Republicans could vote.

With his win, Trump gets closer to the magical 1,237 delegate count needed to clinch the nomination. Before his New York win, Trump captured 756 delegates to Cruz's 559.

Trump was long favored to win the state, with many polls having him ahead of Cruz and Kasich by 30 points. Trump was born in Queens and spent much of his life and career in New York City as a flashy real estate developer and, more recently, reality television personality. His main policy proposal has been a wall between the U.S. and Mexico as a way to curb illegal immigration; he claims Mexico will pay for such a structure, though Mexican officials vehemently deny that.

Though often stirring up resentment towards immigrants, specifically Mexican immigrants and Muslims, Trump has mostly steered clear of LGBT issues. He's indicated he would nominate Supreme Court justices who would overturn last year's ruling legalizing marriage equality nationwide.

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Though polls show Trump is seen unfavorably by many voters, New York state's 2.7 million registered Republicans have a history of nominating fringe candidates. Carl Paladino, who advocated putting welfare recipients in underused prisons and circulated racist emails, was the state's Republican nominee for governor in 2010. He lost in a landslide to Andrew Cuomo.

See Rachel Maddow's take on New York's GOP electorate below: