CNN projects: Sanders wins Maine caucuses, Rubio takes Puerto Rico

With Michigan voters set to hit the polls on Tuesday, the debate will give the Democratic rivals a chance to appeal to state residents ahead of the March 8 presidential primary.

Rubio issued a forceful repudiation of the frontrunner, bringing the house down at CPAC when he warned about a dire future for Republicans “if the conservative movement is hijacked by someone that’s not a conservative”.

“Everyone’s trying to figure out how to stop Trump”, the billionaire marveled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Florida, where he had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him. According to the New York Times’ estimates, Trump has 373 votes, while Cruz, Rubio and Kasich have 291, 122 and 33 votes, respectively.

While the state was sparsely polled in the weeks leading up to the caucuses, Sanders’ win was not altogether unexpected. He highlighted the large turnout in the races and the voters he is attracting to the party and said he would beat Cruz in a two-candidate match-up.

Later on Saturday, Trump held a press conference in Palm Beach, Fla., where he downplayed his losses, saying he hadn’t campaigned heavily in those states anyway.

With more than 80 percent of precincts reporting, Sanders led Clinton with 64.3 percent of the vote compared to her 35.5 percent. But Cruz also stumped in the state on Friday, and the more favorable closed GOP caucus format appears to have played to Cruz’s strengths. Trump skipped a promised appearance at a convention of conservatives in the Washington area to get in one last morning rally in Kansas and then headed to Orlando, Florida.

Trump won closer-than-expected contests in Louisiana and Kentucky, but because of the tight margins it’s Cruz who actually ended the night having netted the most delegates.

Overall, Clinton had at least 1,121 delegates to Sanders’ 479, including superdelegates – members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice. Sanders picked up at total of 47 delegates on Saturday, 23 in Kansas, 14 in Nebraska and 10 in Louisiana, while Clinton picked up 55, with 35 coming from Louisiana and 10 each in Kansas and Nebraska. In all, 155 GOP delegates were at stake Saturday, 134 Democratic delegates.

“You are speculating – I don’t think that’s going to happen”, Sanders said.

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If that is the case, there is simply no way Trump can defeat Clinton in the general election. Rubio got at least 13 and Kasich won at least nine. “That’s the spirit powering this campaign”, she said, referring to an Arkansas janitor who cut back on groceries in order to donate $1,000 to her campaign as an example of the kind of unity she wants. She’s drawn strong support from black voters, a sizable part of the Louisiana Democratic primary electorate. Trump has already been campaigning in the state, hoping to knock Rubio out of the race. Sanders’ easy victory was announced during the CNN Democratic debate in Flint, Michigan though was clearly trending his way before the debate started.