News Analysis: Trump badly needs to win New York primary while Clinton looks to end Sanders' campaign

As the New York primary commences, U.S. brash billionaire Donald Trump badly needs a win, while Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton seeks to beat challenger Senator Bernie Sanders once and for all in a crucial primary contest.

Both Trump, the Republican front-runner, and Clinton have surprised experts, pundits and political prognosticators over the last several months, in what has proven to be one of the most unusual primary seasons in recent memory.

In a storyline not even Hollywood could have dreamed up, Trump, a former reality TV star and real estate tycoon, has far surpassed everyone's expectations, and now has a clear shot at winning the nomination.

At the same time, former secretary of state and first lady Clinton has surprised everyone for the opposite reason -- for what critics call the sheer weakness of her campaign, and for allowing a virtual unknown such as Sanders to put up such a battle, beating her decisively last month in the states of Washington, Alaska and Hawaii.

"Trump badly needs a majority win in New York to put his campaign back on course after a series of losses to Ted Cruz," Brookings Institution's senior fellow Darrell West told Xinhua, referring to the Texas senator who continues to put up a fierce fight against Trump.

"If he (Trump) wins most of the delegates in New York and follows this up with strong showings next week in Pennsylvania and Maryland, this would put him in a position where he has a shot at getting a majority of the delegates," West said.

"He still has to do well in places such as California, New Jersey, and Indiana, but good showings in each of those states would keep him in serious contention," West said.

Indeed, according to Republican Party (GOP) rules, a candidate must win 1,237 delegates in order to grab the nomination.

"The states coming up are tough for Cruz. They are large, northeastern states where he has not done well in the past," West said of Cruz, who is popular among right wing conservatives and evangelicals, who are in short supply in the northeast United States.

"Good victories there for Trump would put the Texas candidate back on his heels and undermine his narrative that he is the only one who can assemble a winning GOP coalition," West said.

Meanwhile, a decisive Clinton victory in New York could put a stake through the Sanders campaign.

"If she does well there, it will be nearly impossible for Sanders to derail the likely Clinton nomination. He still will be able to raise money and will win some other states. But mathematically, he would not be in a position to stop her nomination," West said.

Clinton has faced an unexpectedly tough opponent in Sanders, as the Vermont senator has drawn large and enthusiastic crowds to his rallies, and last month surprised pundits and experts by winning landslide victories in the states of Alaska, Washington and Hawaii.

Many of Sanders supporters are millennials, who are still feeling the sting of the 2008 economic nose dive, as the economy has not fully recovered.

The group has a disproportionately high rate of joblessness, and carries around 35,000 U.S. dollars in student debt per person -- much higher than the same age group did a decade ago. Endit