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Despite being a political outsider, Donald Trump hit it big in Indiana by technically knocking out rival Ted Cruz from the race and clinch the Republican presidential nomination. This paves the way for an imminent face-off with Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. Trump actually needed 200 more delegates to formally secure the nomination but with Cruz opting to end his campaign, the path towards that was made easier.

"Just so you understand, Ted Cruz, I don't know if he likes me or doesn't like me, but he is one hell of a competitor," Trump said. "He is a tough, smart guy--and he has got an amazing future. He's got an amazing future, so I want to congratulate Ted.

On Clinton, the former secretary of state was actually edged by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders but such is not expected to tarnish Clinton’s likely Democratic nomination. To date, Clinton needed just 92% of the delegates to get that.

With these in mind, Clinton and Trump now find themselves in a six-month battle for the presidency where key issues such as immigration laws, health care and military posture are at stake. Clinton is still a key favorite owing to her advantages in minority voters and women, many are not totally discounting Trump from the race.

Despite being initially deemed as a fluke, Trump has so far proven everyone wrong. He has outlasted a lot of political rivals and getting through Republicans with the help of party leaders.

The triumph of Trump is seen as a shocker especially since it was Cruz likely last chance. He embarked on an aggressive campaign in the state that included securing the support of Indiana’s governor and announcing businesswoman Carly Fiorina as his running mate. He lost that momentum in the last days.

“Tonight I’m sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed,” said Cruz even as there were calls for him to reconsider. He adds, “We gave it everything we got. But the voters chose another path.”

As for Clinton, she still needs to win over the supporters of Vermont senator Bernie Sanders. The senator has gained a deep following among young people where his strategy lies on persuading superdelegates to back him over the former secretary of state.

Based on the exit polls showed about 7 out of 10 Indiana Democrats claim to be excited or optimistic on a Clinton or Sanders as the next president.