Donald Trump defeated Nikki Haley in the Missouri caucuses, edging him even closer to securing the Republican nomination.
The Associated Press called the state for the former president at 12:45 p.m. Saturday, less than two hours after voters went to the polls, though Missouri officially takes a month to award all of its 54 delegates.
Polling from Decision Desk HQ and The Hill showed Trump with 88 percent of the vote compared to Haley’s 12 percent.
Haley has yet to win a single Republican primary—including her home state of South Carolina—but has vowed to stay in the race through Super Tuesday on March 5. Missouri’s primary put Trump at 155 presidential delegates, with Haley at 24.
“THANK YOU, MISSOURI! Together, WE are going to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social following the announcement.
Haley did not immediately comment on the results, instead tweeting a video from a rally in North Carolina, which will hold its primary Tuesday.
Missouri was scheduled to hold its primary on March 12 until lawmakers accidentally canceled the contest and missed the deadline to reinstate it. Instead, voters were required to turn out in person for caucuses and pledge their support of the Missouri Republican Party, though they did not have to be registered Republicans.
“I don’t know what my role here will be, besides standing in a corner for Trump,” Columbia resident Carmen Christal told the AP, though she added that she was “looking forward to the experience of it.”
Trump previously won Missouri’s primary under the old system in 2016 and 2020.
Michigan Republicans were also holding their convention on Saturday to formally award their delegates, though Trump already won the Feb. 27 primary.
The former president was expected to win Idaho’s Republican caucus on Saturday as well, pushing him to almost assured victory in the Republican nominating race.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
247