Is this another primaryless “win”? What is really going on here?
This would only matter if Trump doesnt get to 1237. It looks like Trump will reach that and more. This is propaganda designed to keep Cruz in the race to try and stop Trump. Virginia will have 49 delegates at the convention. Right now Cruz has done well in Virginia, but most of the delehates haent been chosen yet. The media is misleading people, acting like this is a bigger deal than it is.
VA had a primary March 1. Trump won, but not by much. Rubio was the Chosen that day, so won a lot of support in Northern VA where the GOPe live and play when not in DC. Today’s vote was for the ‘at large’ delegates.
There’s still a good bit of anger in VA’s Republican circles towards Trump for donating to McAuliffe in his gubernatorial race against then-AG Ken Cuccinelli who led the anti-Obamacare litigation to the SCOTUS. Long memories here. AND we in VA are stuck with McAuliffe who just restored rights to 206,000 felons who can now vote for Hillary in November. (I really don’t think the Trump donation swung the race one way or another, but still doesn’t help his standing with those who follow these things and who had a lot at stake in seeing Ken Cuccinelli win that election)
The public preference step binds most of the delegates on the first ballot at the convention (Florida binds its delegates for three ballots).
At any rate, this isn't a "primaryless win," this is a condition where Cruz prevails in the "second ballot race," but not in the "first ballot race." There was a primary.
Colorado and Wyoming were "primaryless wins," because those delegates will vote for Cruz on the first and subsequent ballots.