Super Tuesday 2016: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton surge ahead after series of wins

Mark Chandler2 March 2016

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton moved closer to winning their parties' nominations for presidential candidate after a series of victories in the Super Tuesday elections.

Mrs Clinton won seven states and Mr Trump had seven projected victories as they distanced themselves from party rivals and looked ahead to a November presidential election showdown.

Super Tuesday saw a dozen states voting in the biggest single day of the nomination campaign.

In the Republican race, Ted Cruz won his home state of Texas and Oklahoma, and Marco Rubio, a favourite of the party establishment, triumphed in Minnesota for his first victory.

Both are seeking to become Mr Trump's main rival, after the billionaire triumphed in Virginia, Arkansas, Alabama, Massachusetts, Tennessee and Georgia.

Following the votes, Mr Trump led the Republican field with 274 delegates, Mr Cruz had 149, while Mr Rubio was on 82. Republican candidates need 1,237 delegates overall to win their party’s nomination.

Hillary Clinton: The Democrat frontrunner won in seven states
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Speaking at a news conference, Mr Trump said: “Once we get all of this finished, I'm going to go after one person - Hillary Clinton."

He went on: "She's been there for so long. If she hasn't straightened it out by now, she's not going to straighten it out in the next four years."

Mrs Clinton’s opponent Bernie Sanders won the Oklahoma primary and caucuses in Minnesota and Colorado, alongside the primary in his home state of Vermont.

But Mrs Clinton, the former secretary of state and senator, won in Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Virginia.

She also won Massachusetts, picking up her first victory in Mr Sanders' native New England.

Criticising Mr Trump, she said a Miami rally: "Instead of building walls, we're going to break down barriers.

"The rhetoric we're hearing on the other side has never been lower."

Mrs Clinton has now won at least 421 of the 865 delegates at stake on Super Tuesday, and Mr Sanders at least 232.

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