AP — Donald Trump has won the Republican presidential primary in North Carolina.
His victory Tuesday comes after an earlier win in Florida and increases his delegate lead over the rest of the Republican field.
That field shrank by one on Tuesday as Marco Rubio dropped out. But John Kasich captured his first victory of the nominating contest by winning his home state of Ohio, nabbing all 66 delegates there.
Ted Cruz has yet to win a state Tuesday.
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9:42 p.m.
Bernie Sanders was handed three early defeats on Tuesday – but his speech carried little mention of them.
Sanders lost Ohio, Florida and North Carolina to Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, who added to her delegate lead. But, in a speech to supporters in Phoenix, he barely discussed those contests or the day’s races in Illinois or Missouri that have not been called.
Sanders instead delivered his standard campaign speech, decrying the influence of big money in politics. He vowed that “billionaires would have to pay their fair share.”
The Vermont senator has struggled to win the south, instead claiming some victories in the Midwest.
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9:40 p.m.
Marco Rubio exits the presidential race having won 163 delegates to the Republican National Convention this summer.
The vast majority of those delegates will be sought-after free agents, free to support the candidate of their choice – unless Rubio tries to resurrect his campaign at a contested convention.
GOP rules require delegates to vote for the candidate who won them on the first ballot at the convention. However, most state parties release those delegates if their candidate is no longer running.
If Rubio jumps back in the race, he keeps his delegates.
Rubio can ask them to support another candidate, but they don’t have to.
