Trump looks to lock up decisive win in South Carolina

Bush was also under intensifying pressure from party leaders to clear the field so they could coalesce around a challenger to Donald Trump.

Almost half of primary voters supporting Trump said they would not be satisfied with any other candidate as the nominee, while more than 7 in 10 Rubio and Cruz voters said they could be satisfied with a different candidate. The public mood has upended the usual political order, giving Sanders and Trump openings while leaving more traditional candidates scrambling to find their footing.

Trump, whose SC campaign included attacks on former Republican President George W. Bush over the Iraq war and a flap with Pope Francis over immigration, did well with new GOP voters who are angry at the government and want major change.

Trump was favored to win the primary by numerous polls leading up to Saturday’s vote.

In the past six GOP primaries without an incumbent, New Hampshire and SC have been won by the same candidate three times-and all three went on to win the nomination.

Mr. Bush was in a battle for fourth place here, after a sixth-place showing in Iowa and placed fourth in New Hampshire. In retrospect, his campaign had the aura of a farewell tour as he brought in his brother, former President George W. Bush, and his mother, former first lady Barbara Bush to try to catch fire He hoped to do well in the military-friendly state, which both his father and his brother had carried. The results indicated that Trump had a strong chance of taking the state, but it was a still a drop from the 36 percent support he had just one month before.

Supporters of Sen. Marco Rubio, who is now tied for second as votes continue to roll in, cheered loudly at his victory party in Columbia, as Bush announced the end of his campaign.

Clinton captured the backing of voters who said electability and experience were important in their vote. Released Friday, the poll, which had an error margin of 3.6 percent, shows the race for third place tightening between Floridians Marco Rubio, the state’s junior senator, at 15 percent, and Bush, its former governor, at 13 percent.

Clinton won a majority of those who said the economy or health care were their top issues, while those who said income inequality supported Sanders.

Clinton relied on strong turnout from Latino voters to hold Sanders at bay.

Sanders congratulated Clinton on her victory, but then declared that “the wind is at our backs”. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, with 37 percent of the vote in. “We have the momentum”. The socialist senator scored strongly with men, voters who are less affluent and educated, and people under 45 – exposing the age gap also seen in earlier contests.

Clinton wins, the race drags on.

Democrats and Republicans will swap locations in the coming days.

“Thank you, Nevada”, Clinton said in a victory speech.

The Republicans now leave SC and head west for the Nevada Republican Caucus on February 23.