The GOP presidential contenders are about to face off in 4 new contests

REUTERS/Chris Keane

If Donald Trump's rivals in the Republican presidential primary are going to stop him from getting the nomination, they will likely need to show they can do well in Tuesday's elections.

Four states will weigh in on the primary Tuesday: Michigan, Mississippi, Idaho, and Hawaii.

Trump remains the frontrunner across the board, although polling has been light in the four states.

One recent poll of Mississippi found Trump with a 20-point lead there, and another survey of Idaho found Trump with a similar margin.

But without a clear picture of where, exactly, the four remaining Republican candidates stand, the Tuesday races provide an opportunity for Trump's rivals to eat away at his delegate lead and slow down his path to the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination.

Ted Cruz outperformed expectations last weekend, besting Trump in two out of four states and holding the frontrunner to closer-than-expected wins in Louisiana and Kentucky. Trump did much better with early votes in Louisiana than on the primary day, suggesting some momentum behind Cruz's campaign.

But the two other candidates, Marco Rubio and John Kasich, are also in the hunt for delegates and are hoping to brand themselves as surging, top-tier contenders for the nomination.

Kasich has campaigned hard in Michigan, where polls have shown him surprisingly competitive despite his lagging performance in most of the previous primary contests. With its 59 delegates, Michigan is the biggest prize of the night.

"I think we're going to do well here," Kasich said during a "Morning Joe" interview on Tuesday.

"I can't predict it, I'm not going to," he added. "The pollsters, you know, they don't know either. That's why good created astrologers, to make them look accurate."

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