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Trump, Clinton roll through Mississippi; Cruz wins in Idaho

March 9, 2016 1:32 pm / Leave a comment

Marco Rubio has another hard night, finishing last in two contests

♦By Rich Shumate, Chickenfriedpolitics.com editor

mississippi mugJACKSON, Mississippi (CFP) — Donald Trump rolled through the Mississippi GOP primary, nearly capturing an outright majority in one of his strongest wins of the primary season.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton, as expected, cruised to a win in the Mississippi Democratic primary, besting U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders  of Vermont by a nearly 5-to-1 margin.

Meanwhile, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas won the Republican primary in Idaho, notching his sixth win in the GOP presidential contest. But it was another hard night for the other Southerner in the race, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who could finish no better than third in any of the four March 8 contests.

In addition to the Republican primaries in Mississippi and Idaho, Michigan held a primary, and Hawaii had a caucus; Trump won them both.

The only other Democratic contest was in Michigan, where Sanders defeated Clinton in the night’s biggest upset.

Candidate Donald Trump

Candidate Donald Trump

In Mississippi, Trump took 47 percent of the vote, compared to 36 percent for Cruz. Rubio managed only a meager 5 percent, coming in fourth behind Governor John Kasich of Ohio.

Buoyed by the Magnolia State’s large African-American vote, Clinton won 83 percent to 17 percent for Sanders

In Michigan Cruz finished second and Rubio fourth. The Florida senator came in third place in Hawaii and Idaho.

Heading into pivotal March 15 contests in Florida and North Carolina, Trump has 458 delegates; Cruz, 359; Rubio, 151; and Kasich, 54. A total of 1,237 delegates are needed to win the nomination.

On the Democratic side, Clinton has 1,221 to 571 for Sanders, with 2,383 needed for the nomination.

Cruz wins in Maine, Kansas, but Trump scores in the South

March 5, 2016 11:34 pm / Leave a comment

Hillary Clinton carries Democratic primary in Louisiana

♦By Rich Shumate, Chickenfriedpolitics.com editor

southern-states-lgBATON ROUGE (CFP) — U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas bolstered his argument that he should be considered the alternative to Donald Trump in the GOP presidential race by scoring clear victories in Kansas and Maine.

However, Trump held on in the two Southern contests held on March 5, narrowly beating Cruz in a primary in Louisiana and a caucus in Kentucky.

Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton, as expected, won going away in Louisiana, a state with a large African-American population. Democrats did not vote in Kentucky.

The biggest loser of the night was U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, who finished third in Kansas, Kentucky and Louisiana and scraped in dead last in Maine, where he was shut out of the delegate count.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz

Speaking to supporters in Boise, Idaho, Cruz hailed the results as “a very good day.”

“We’re seeing Republicans coming together. We’re seeing conservatives coming together,” he said. Cruz told reporters that the GOP field needs to continue to narrow in order to defeat Trump.

But Rubio, speaking at a rally in Jacksonville, Florida before the results began rolling in, showed no signs he was going anywhere, noting that he had successfully battled long odds to win a Senate seat in 2010.

“If you watch the press, they say he’s an underdog. He’s taking on an incredible task,” Rubio said, referring to himself. “Let me tell you something–America is country of underdogs.”

In Louisiana, Trump took 42 percent of the vote to 38 percent for Cruz. In Kentucky, Trump won 36 percent to Cruz’s 31 percent.

Among Democrats, Clinton won 71 percent to 24 percent for Bernie Sanders.

The next Southern stops in the presidential race are:
◾Tuesday, March 8: Mississippi (primary)
◾Tuesday, March 15: Florida (primary); North Carolina (primary)
◾Tuesday, May 19: West Virginia (primary)

Southerners Cruz, Rubio jockey for position after Super Tuesday

March 2, 2016 12:40 pm / Leave a comment

Both senators vie to be final alternative to Donald Trump
♦By Rich Shumate, Chickenfriedpolitics.com editor

southern-states-lg(CFP) — The two Southerners left in the Republican presidential race may have failed to stop Donald Trump’s bandwagon in the Super Tuesday primaries, but both U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are insisting that the results make them the most viable alternative to the New York billionaire.

Eleven states held contests to pick Republican delegates on March 1. Trump won seven. Cruz won Texas, Oklahoma and Alaska and came in second in four other states. Rubio won Minnesota and came in second in two.

Despite those mixed results, both Cruz and Rubio made it clear that they are staying in the race. And while Rubio didn’t talk about Cruz on election night, Cruz made a direct appeal for Rubio and the other candidates to drop out to give him a clear shot at Trump.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz

“So long as the field is divided, the nomination of Donald Trump becomes more likely, and that would be a disaster,” Cruz told supporters in Stafford, Texas, near Houston.

Addressing the other candidates, he said, “I ask you to prayerfully consider our coming together, uniting.”

“That is the only way to beat Donald Trump. Head-to-head, our campaign beats Donald Trump resoundingly.”

But down in Miami, a defiant Rubio denounced Trump as a “con artist” and made it clear he doesn’t plan to leave the race.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio

“No matter how long it takes, no matter how many states it takes, no matter how many weeks and months it takes, I will campaign as long as it takes, and wherever it takes, to ensure that I am the next president of the United States,” Rubio said.

Rubio insisted that his stepped-up campaign of attacks against Trump has begun eroding Trump’s poll numbers, and he said he was looking forward to the March 15 primary in his home state of Florida.

“Two weeks from tonight, right here in Florida, we are going to send a message loud and clear,” he said.

Trump, Clinton roll across the South on Super Tuesday

March 2, 2016 12:21 pm / Leave a comment

Trump carries five of seven Southern GOP primaries; Clinton takes six on Democratic side
SUPER TUESDAY SOUTHERN RESULTS
♦By Rich Shumate, Chickenfriedpolitics.com editor

southern-states-lg(CFP) — Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton rolled across the South on Super Tuesday, carrying 11 of the 14 primaries and the lion’s share of the delegates up for grabs.

The only outliers were Oklahoma, which both Trump and Clinton lost, and the Republican primary in Texas, which went for homestate U.S. Senator Ted Cruz

Trump and Clinton won Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia in the March 1 vote. Clinton also won the Democratic primary in Texas

Super Tuesday was rough sledding for  U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who came in second place in Virginia and Georgia but could only manage a third-place finish in Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Texas.

In addition to winning Texas and Oklahoma, Cruz finished second to Trump in Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee. He was third in Georgia and Virginia.

While Trump won most of the Super Tuesday primaries on the Republican side, he cleared 40 percent only one Southern state, Alabama, which he swept by 18 points.

Trump also notched double-digit wins in Georgia and Tennessee. His victories in Arkansas and Virginia were narrow, 2 and 3 percent, respectively.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Buoyed by her strong support among African-Americans, Clinton rolled up huge numbers across the South. With the exception of Oklahoma, which she lost by 10 points to U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Clinton’s support ranged from 64 percent in Virginia to 78 percent in Alabama.

Her margin of victory ranged from 29 points in Virginia to a staggering 59 points in Alabama.

The next Southern stops in the presidential race are:

  • Saturday, March 5: Kentucky (GOP caucus), Louisiana (primary)
  • Tuesday, March 8: Mississippi (primary)
  • Tuesday, March 15: Florida (primary); North Carolina (primary)
  • Tuesday, May 19: West Virginia (primary)

Southern Super Tuesday Results

ALABAMA
Trump—43%
Cruz—21%
Rubio-19%
Carson–10%
Kasich–4%

Clinton–78%
Sanders–19%

ARKANSAS
Trump—33%
Cruz—31%
Rubio-25%
Carson–6%
Kasich–4%

Clinton–66%
Sanders–30%

GEORGIA
Trump—39%
Rubio–25%
Cruz–24%
Carson–6%
Kasich–6%

Clinton–71%
Sanders–28%

OKLAHOMA
Cruz—34%
Trump—28%
Rubio–26%
Carson–6%
Kasich–4%

Sanders–52%
Clinton–42%

TENNESSEE
Trump—39%
Cruz–25%
Rubio–21%
Carson–8%
Kasich–5%

Clinton–66%
Sanders–32%

TEXAS
Cruz–44%
Trump–27%
Rubio–18%
Carson–4%
Kasich–4%

Clinton–65%
Sanders–33%

VIRGINIA
Trump—35%
Rubio–32%
Cruz–17%
Kasich–9%
Carson–6%

Clinton–64%
Sanders–35%

Ted Cruz looks forward to Super Tuesday after finishing third in Nevada

February 27, 2016 5:09 pm / Leave a comment

Texas senator touts himself as the only “consistent conservative” left in the GOP presidential race

♦By Andy Donohue, Chickenfriedpolitics.com contributor

southern-states-lgLAS VEGAS (CFP) — After a third-place finish in the Nevada caucuses, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas looked forward to the pivotal Super Tuesday primaries, touting himself as the “one proven consistent conservative” remaining in the GOP presidential race.

Cruz on caucus night in Las Vegas

Cruz on caucus night in Las Vegas

“Elections are about choice, and there are clear choices in this race,” Cruz told supporters at a YMCA in Las Vegas on caucus night, where he pledged to be the candidate who says no to bipartisan corruption, stand up to special interests and lobbyists and rein in debt.

“Who has lead the fight against amnesty? Who has lead the fight against the Affordable Care Act? Who has lead the fight defending life, marriage and religious liberty?” he asked.

Cruz also assured the Nevada crowd that, as a Texan, he understands how “folks in Nevada kind of like their guns” and is counting on Americans in Super Tuesday states feeling the same.

On international issues, Cruz emphasized his opposition to the Iran nuclear deal, which he vowed to “rip to shreds” on his first day as president. He also said his administration would “stand unapologetically alongside the nation of Israel.”

Cruz also framed himself as the candidate who can best fight Islamic terrorism and “keep American safe.”

Cruz finished behind Donald Trump and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio in the Silver State, winning six delegates. He is now moving into Super Tuesday on March 1, when 13 states will hold primaries or caucuses.

Among those states is Texas, where polls show Cruz locked in a battle with Trump for the Lone Star State’s 155 delegates.

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