NEW YORK — Competing on home turf, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton hoped to emerge victorious from today’s primaries in New York, contests that offer big delegate hauls and an opportunity for the front-runners to inch closer to their parties’ nominations.

Even before the New York results were in, Clinton’s campaign was declaring the Democratic race virtually over and warning rival Bernie Sanders that he risks damaging the party’s eventual nominee if he keeps up harsh criticism of the former secretary of state.

Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said Sanders faces a “close to impossible path to the nomination” and predicted New York would result in Clinton taking “an important step to the nomination.” Sanders needs to win 68 percent of the remaining delegates if he hopes to clinch the Democratic nomination.

The lead-up to today’s voting created surreal scenes in New York, a state that hasn’t seen competitive primaries in decades. Candidates blanketed every corner of the state, from Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs to the working class enclaves in Buffalo and Syracuse.

Trump and Clinton were hoping to win in part on the strength of their local ties. Clinton was twice elected senator from New York, while Trump was born in Queens and lives in a building bearing his name in Manhattan.