Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump Capture Most Wins on SuperTuesday

Wednesday March 2, 2016

A combination photo shows Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump (L) in Palm Beach, Florida and Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (R) in Miami, Florida at their respective Super Tuesday primaries campaign events on March 1, 2016. Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton rolled up a series of wins on Tuesday, as the two presidential front-runners took a step toward capturing their parties' nominations on the 2016 campaign's biggest day of state-by-state primary voting. REUTERS/Scott Audette (L), Javier Galeano

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Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump won a majority of SuperTuesday states, extending their leads in their races to be their party's respective presidential nominees.

Even as they dominated contests on a key date in the race, rivals scored victories that gave them glimmers of hope.

Clinton won Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, while her Democratic competitor Bernie Sanders won his home state of Vermont as well as Oklahoma, Colorado and Minnesota.

On the Republican side, Trump won Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee and Virginia, while rival Ted Cruz won his home state of Texas and neighboring Oklahoma, according to network projections. Marco Rubio was projected to win the caucuses in Minnesota, giving his first victory so far.

Other states were too close to call.

Voters in 11 states cast ballots on Tuesday in primaries and caucuses.

Clinton was looking for significant wins across the country that would make it much more difficult for Sanders to beat her in the race for the Democratic nomination.

"What a super Tuesday," Clinton told supporters at a rally in Miami, Florida.

"It may be unusual for a presidential candidate to say, but I am going to say it. I believe what we need in America today is more love and kindness," she said, a reference to rhetoric on the Republican side.

More than any other candidate, Clinton has drawn heavily on the entertainment industry for campaign contributions, having trekked to Los Angeles last week for a series of fundraisers. Clinton will be in New York on Wednesday for a fundraising concert with Elton John, Katy Perry and Andra Day at Radio City Music Hall.

At a rally in Essex Junction, Vt., Sanders predicted that "by the end of tonight, we are going to win many hundreds of delegates," challenging the notion that Clinton was unstoppable. He vowed to take his fight to the remaining 35 states still left to vote in primaries and caucuses.

"You have sustained me. I am so proud to bring
Vermont values all across the country," he said.

Sanders' campaign announced on Tuesday that it raised $42.7 million in February, perhaps beating Clinton in the money race.

Related Photographer Thrown to Ground by Secret Service Agent at Donald Trump Rally

Trump held a press conference at his resort, Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., where he spent much of his time turning to Clinton as a general election candidate. He also insisted that his campaign has "expanded the Republican party."

Trump said that he was a "unifier," even as some conservatives, like Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), have vowed not to vote for him.

Standing behind him, a bit stone faced, was Chris Christie, who has drawn criticism even from past supporters for endorsing Trump last week.

Rivals Rubio and Cruz have amped up their attacks on Trump, with a mixed impact at best.

Recent days have seen an increased mobilization among some establishment Republicans to stop Trump's momentum, with the Twitter hashtag #nevertrump.

Rubio in particular has chided Trump over a host of issues, including litigation involving Trump University and the New York real estate mogul's refusal to immediately disavow former KKK leader David Duke in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday. Trump blamed the interview on a faulty earpiece. Trump noted that he disavowed Duke before and after the interview.

Since the last GOP debate on Thursday, the attacks have descended to the level of a high school race for class president. Rubio has mocked Trump's spray tan and even the size of his hands.

In response, Trump has been referring to Rubio as "little Marco Rubio," characterizing him as a lightweight who chokes under pressure. At his press conference, Trump said that Rubio "decided to become Don Rickles, but Don Rickles has a lot more talent."

Rubio's win in Minnesota gave him his first victory, and his supporters expressed encouragement over his close second place finish in Virginia.

"Five days ago, we began to explain to the American
people that Donald Trump is a con artist," Rubio told supporters. "And in just five days, we have seen the impact that it is having all across the country."

He has vowed to press on, particularly with the upcoming Florida primary on March 15.

But in his speech to supporters gathered at Redneck Country Club in Stafford, Texas, Cruz argued that it is his campaign that should be the alternative to Trump. He said that rivals who have yet to win should coalesce around his candidacy to stop Trump.

"Our campaign is the only campaign that can beat, has beat and will beat Donald Trump," Cruz told supporters gathered in Stafford, Texas. Cruz devoted most of his speech to attacking Trump, calling him a he called "a Washington dealmaker, profane and vulgar."

Even as Trump faces louder opposition from within the party, he is expected to draw additional endorsements. Carl Icahn, who endorsed his bid last year, called in to Fox Business Network's Neil Cavuto and said, "I do believe Donald Trump is what this country needs right now."

Eleven states were voting on Tuesday -- Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia. In addition, voters in Colorado were casting votes for Democrats, and Alaska for Republicans.

A total of 1,015 delegates were up for grabs in the Democratic race, with 2,383 needed to clinch the nomination, while 595 were available to Republicans, with 1,237 needed to capture the party's nod.

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