Rubio: Last Night Beginning of ‘Real Republican Primary’

Trump’s strong showing in SC marked his second successive victory in the Republican primaries and strengthened his unexpected claim on the party nomination.

While Donald Trump won South Carolina’s primary Saturday, Rubio was buoyed by a slim second-place finish over Texas Sen. No Republican in recent times has won New Hampshire and SC and then failed to win the nomination.

The billionaire businessman has deeply divided the Republican party.

Clinton’s roughly 5-point win eased the rising anxieties of her backers, who feared a growing challenge from Sanders.

Texas’ Cruz was banking on a well-regarded get-out-the-vote operation and 10,000 volunteers to pull out a strong finish in SC as well as in the Southern states that follow. “I’m proud of the campaign that we’ve run to unify our country and to advocate conservative solutions that would give more Americans the opportunity to rise up and reach their God-given potential”, Bush said, appearing emotional, according to the News Service of Florida.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has for months rained withering ridicule on onetime party favorite Jeb Bush, on Sunday refused to take responsibility for the former Florida governor’s exit from the 2016 White House race. “I respect Jeb’s decision”, said Schuette in a statement Saturday night without saying who he’ll throw his support to.

Kasich accomplished his primary goal, Weaver said, when Bush ended his campaign, leaving Kasich as the only governor left in the race. Ted Cruz – but also because it knocked his foil, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, out of the race. “Certainly I’m leading, there’s no question about that, but we’ve got a long way to go”. Sanders is slightly behind in most polls taken in the Super Tuesday states, save for his native Vermont. John Kasich placed fifth and Ben Carson sixth.

“It is now apparent that the only campaign that can beat Donald Trump and that has beaten Donald Trump is our campaign”, he said on CNN’s “State of the Union”.

“The future that we want is within our grasp”, the former secretary of state, first lady and senator told cheering supporters after her Nevada win.

“The people of Iowa and New Hampshire and SC have spoken”, he said.

Both results will be key ahead of the “Super Tuesday” round on 1 March, when a dozen more states make their choice.

“If I win NY, the election’s over”, he said. “A number of the pundits said, ‘Well, if a couple of the other candidates drop out, if you add their scores together, it’s going to equal Trump!,’ he said in his victory speech”.