Ted Cruz won 36 of Wisconsin’s 42 Republican delegates and Bernie Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton by more than 13 percentage points Tuesday, handing both parties’ front-runners decisive setbacks and extending the possibility of prolonged nomination contests.

Cruz took about 48 percent of the Republican vote, compared with roughly 35 percent for Donald Trump and 14 percent for John Kasich. Sanders received nearly 57 percent on the Democratic side to Clinton’s 43 percent. The results delivered far more than symbolic victories: Wisconsin’s district-by-district Republican rules allowed Cruz to capture nearly every delegate, making it harder for Trump to assemble the 1,237 required for a first-ballot convention victory.

The results marked clear wins for both challengers after campaigns that became unusually personal and contentious. Cruz portrayed his victory as evidence that Republicans were uniting behind him. Sanders said Wisconsin demonstrated that his insurgent campaign could keep competing nationally, even as Clinton retained a substantial lead in pledged delegates and overwhelming support among superdelegates.

Cruz blocks Trump’s path

Wisconsin was the first major test after Republican resistance to Trump became more organized. Governor Scott Walker endorsed Cruz, conservative talk-radio hosts attacked Trump’s record and outside groups spent heavily to stop the New York businessman. The result showed Cruz could build a broader coalition than the evangelical base that powered some of his earlier victories.

CBS News exit-poll analysis found Cruz defeating Trump among voters with college degrees and, unusually, among those without them. He also performed strongly among voters who described themselves as very conservative, somewhat conservative and moderate, while winning voters concerned about a candidate’s temperament.

Trump’s candidacy had endured a difficult week. He reversed himself after saying women should face “some form of punishment” if abortion were outlawed, defended his campaign manager after a battery charge and clashed with Walker and Wisconsin radio hosts. Cruz’s campaign used those episodes to argue that Trump lacked the judgment and discipline required of a nominee.

Wisconsin allocates most of its Republican delegates to the winner in each congressional district, with the statewide winner receiving additional delegates. Cruz swept most districts and emerged with 36 delegates, while Trump won six. Time’s assessment of the vote described the result as Cruz’s first clear sign of a coalition reaching beyond his natural ideological base.

The victory does not put Cruz ahead. Trump retains a large delegate lead, and the calendar now moves to New York, where he has deep local ties and commands a strong advantage in polls. But denying Trump Wisconsin’s delegates increases the chance that no candidate reaches a majority before the Republican convention in Cleveland. Cruz’s strategy increasingly depends on such a contested convention, where delegates may become free to change their votes after the first ballot.

During a victory speech carried in a CNN election-night transcript, Cruz called Wisconsin a turning point and argued that Republicans were coming together behind his campaign. Trump’s campaign responded by branding Cruz a tool of the party establishment and alleging improper coordination with allies, without presenting evidence.

Sanders adds momentum, not a delegate lead

Sanders’s victory was broad. He won younger voters by an overwhelming margin, dominated among independents and performed well across much of the state. Wisconsin’s open-primary rules allowed voters who do not formally belong to a party to participate, benefiting a candidate whose appeal has consistently extended beyond registered Democrats.

An ABC News examination of the Democratic exit poll found Sanders drawing strength from voters who prioritized honesty, inspiration and a candidate who shares their values. Clinton remained stronger among voters who emphasized experience and electability.

Sanders also benefited from Wisconsin’s political culture: a progressive tradition, a large white electorate, a strong university presence and a history of open participation. Wisconsin Public Radio’s election-night report noted that both candidates had campaigned heavily in the state during the preceding 10 days, even after public polling began to show Sanders with a narrow advantage.

The delegate allocation, however, is proportional. Sanders gained more delegates than Clinton but could not erase much of her accumulated advantage. His campaign must win future states by large margins to catch her among pledged delegates, while persuading superdelegates—party leaders and elected officials who are not bound by primary results—to reconsider their support.

Clinton’s coalition has been strongest among Black voters, older Democrats and party regulars, advantages likely to matter in New York and later contests. Sanders has won a series of caucuses and primaries in predominantly white states, raising money from small donors and sustaining enthusiasm. Wisconsin validates that strategy without changing its steep arithmetic.

Two victories with different meanings

For Republicans, Wisconsin alters the mechanics of the race. Every delegate denied to Trump raises the possibility that the nomination will be decided through multiple ballots and convention rules rather than by a clear primary majority. Kasich, who finished third, remains far behind in delegates but continues to argue that he would be the strongest general-election candidate.

For Democrats, the result extends a competition whose likely outcome remains less uncertain. Sanders can point to a decisive popular victory and a durable source of campaign money, but Clinton still has a larger pledged-delegate lead and a commanding advantage when superdelegates are included. Time’s election analysis concluded that Sanders gained momentum while Clinton’s path to the nomination remained stronger.

The common thread is voter resistance to inevitability. Wisconsin Republicans rejected the national leader after weeks of controversy, while Democratic voters gave the insurgent candidate another landslide. The outcomes show that neither party’s electorate is prepared to close the contest simply because a front-runner has accumulated a lead.

New York becomes the next test

The campaigns now turn toward the April 19 New York primary, where the terrain changes sharply. Trump was born in Queens, built his business and public identity in Manhattan and leads Cruz and Kasich by wide margins. New York’s Republican rules also award delegates by congressional district, creating opportunities for rivals if they can keep Trump below key thresholds.

Clinton represented New York in the Senate for eight years and has the support of much of the state’s Democratic establishment. Sanders was born in Brooklyn but has represented Vermont for decades. He will need to translate biography and enthusiasm into support from the racially and economically diverse electorate that has often favored Clinton.

An international election account published Wednesday described Wisconsin as a blow to both front-runners, but the scale of that blow differs. Trump lost delegates he needs to avoid a contested convention. Clinton lost a state but preserved the structure of her delegate advantage.

Wisconsin therefore leaves the presidential race in a paradoxical state: both challengers can credibly claim momentum, while both front-runners retain the lead. The next contests will determine whether Tuesday was a durable turn in the campaign or a sharp interruption before the leaders regain control.