An early look at the May contests... (R)

[Xing]

Looking at where things stand, Trump is very likely to win West Virginia, while Cruz likely takes the rest, though Indiana could be close. I don't think there are enough Kasich voters in Washington for him to truly be competitive.

[Xing]

Why are Oregon and Washington safe for Cruz?  I would have thought these would be more like New England/Northeastern States that Trump seems to be winning.

Most Republicans live in the more rural Eastern parts of these states. Cruz will dominate these regions, so that even if Kasich (or, less likely, Trump) do better in the urban areas, it won't be enough.

[Xing]

Why does everybody think Cruz has chance in Washington and Oregon?

Because his opponent is Trump, who has virtually no chance of winning those states. Eastern WA/OR (majority of GOP voters) is similar to Idaho and Utah, states where Cruz crushed Trump. Western WA/OR is largely Democratic, and the few Republican voters would be as likely to back Kasich as Trump.