For Democrats, the primaries offered front-runner Clinton a chance to solidify her lead over Bernie Sanders, while the Vermont senator was hoping to build on surprising win last week in MI.
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Senator Marco Rubio ended his presidential campaign Tuesday night after losing his home state of Florida by double digits to Donald Trump.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio dropped out of the Republican contest after a humiliating defeat in his home state to Mr Trump. That makes it more hard for the billionaire to reach the 1,237 delegates he needs to capture the GOP prize.
Votes were also being counted Tuesday in Missouri, though races in both parties were too close to call.
“It’s kind of a sad night for Florida”, Republican strategist Adam Goodman agreed, referencing the failed campaigns of Jeb Bush and, now, Rubio.
In this Monday, March 14, 2016, photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds a plane-side rally in a hanger at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna, Ohio.
The wins for Clinton added to her lead in pledged delegates over Sanders and gave her an nearly insurmountable edge, burying the memory of her stunning loss in MI last week.
That completes her sweep of Southern states, where she has enjoyed strong support from African-American voters. Sanders was favored by about half of white voters who did not attend college but Clinton won every other education level.
The real estate tycoon also won primaries in il and North Carolina. She signaled an eagerness to move on to a possible general election showdown with Trump, saying he’s laid out a “really unsafe path” for the country.
Trump entered Tuesday’s primaries embroiled in one of the biggest controversies of his contentious campaign. Rubio spoke over boos from the audience as he congratulated Trump. Ted Cruz, meanwhile, hopes to pick up enough delegates to help force a contested national convention in July.
Even as Trump racks up more wins, questions have intensified about whether he is doing enough to stem violence at his raucous rallies. While such no candidate has been identified, meeting participants planned to discuss ballot access issues, including using an existing third party as a vehicle or securing signatures for an independent bid.
A Trump rally at the University of Chicago on Friday was canceled due to security concerns, according to his campaign, disappointing thousands of supporters who waited several hours to hear Trump speak.
The raucous 2016 presidential campaign will come into greater clarity on Tuesday as five states could determine whether Republicans are in for a historic convention fight and Democrats are set for a nomination slog lasting into the summer.
The surveys were conducted for The Associated Press and television networks by Edison Research as voters left their polling places at 30 to 40 randomly selected sites in five states holding primary elections Tuesday.
Cruz said at a Houston rally that the battle for the Republican presidential nomination battle was a “two-person race” between himself and Trump. Cruz had 370, Rubio 163, and Kasich 63. It takes 1237 to win the Republican nomination.
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In a clear reference to Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan, the GOP’s top elected leader, declared that all candidates have an obligation to do what they can to provide an atmosphere of harmony at campaign events and not incite violence.
