In a relatively subdued victory speech Tuesday night, former President Donald Trump sounded like he was ready to pivot to the general election and his opponent in that race, President Joe Biden.
Voters in roughly one-third of the country voted in primary elections or at caucus meetings on Tuesday, as the race for the Republican nomination neared its end.
Nikki Haley exited the race on Wednesday morning after Trump won the lion’s share of state primaries.
Trump won primaries in 14 of the 15 Super Tuesday states with Republican primaries or caucuses. In results released just after 6 a.m., Trump received 58% of the vote in Utah while Haley was at 41%. Voters in Vermont backed Haley.
“They call it Super Tuesday for a reason,” Trump said to his supporters in Mar-a-Lago. He touted his record while in office and criticized Biden for his handling of the border and the economy. Trump called Biden the “worst president in the history of our country,” and said he would restore the country.
He also called on Republicans to unify. “We have a great Republican Party with tremendous talent. And we want to have unity and we’re going to have unity, and it’s going to happen very quickly,” he said.
Biden responded to Tuesday’s election results by saying, “Tonight’s results leave the American people with a clear choice: Are we going to keep moving forward or will we allow Donald Trump to drag us backwards into the chaos, division and darkness that defined his term in office?”
Haley drops out of the race
Ahead of Super Tuesday, Haley zigzagged across the country pitching herself as the Republican candidate who can beat Biden.
A statement from her spokeswoman, Olivia Perez-Cubas, said as totals came in on Super Tuesday, “We’re honored to have received the support of millions of Americans across the country today, including in Vermont where Nikki became the first Republican woman to win two presidential primary contests. Unity is not achieved by simply claiming ‘we’re united.’ Today, in state after state, there remains a large block of Republican primary voters who are expressing deep concerns about Donald Trump. That is not the unity our party needs for success. Addressing those voters’ concerns will make the Republican Party and America better.”
Haley delivered remarks Wednesday morning in South Carolina announcing the suspension of her campaign.
“As important, while we stand strong for the cause of freedom, we must bind together as Americans. We must turn away from the darkness of hatred and division,” Haley said. “I will continue to promote all those values, as is the right of every American.”
The former South Carolina governor did not endorse Trump in her speech. “It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him, and I hope he does that,” she said.
Super Tuesday state results
Alaska
Trump was declared the winner of the Alaska caucus.
Alabama
Trump and Biden won their respective primaries in Alabama.
America Samoa
Biden lost in America Samoa, a territory in the South Pacific, to Democratic challenger Jason Palmer, per The Associated Press.
Arkansas
The Arkansas Republican presidential primary was called for Trump. Biden won the Democratic presidential primary.
California
Trump won California’s primary, while Biden picked up the win on the Democratic side.
Colorado
Trump beat Haley in Colorado, while Biden won the Democratic primary.
Maine
Trump won the Republican primary, while Biden won on the Democratic side.
Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, the Republican primary was called for Trump, while Biden also won the state.
Minnesota
Trump and Biden won their respective primaries.
North Carolina
Trump won the Tarheel state, while in the North Carolina Democratic primary, Phillips and Williamson did not qualify for the ballot and Biden won easily.
Oklahoma
The Associated Press called Oklahoma for Donald Trump shortly after polls closed at 6 p.m. MST. Biden also won the state.
Tennessee
Trump won Tennessee, while Biden also won the state where there are 58 delegates on the table for Republicans and 70 delegates available for Democrats.
Texas
Trump took Texas, while Biden won on the Democratic side.
Utah
With two-thirds of precincts reporting, Trump was ahead of Haley 57%-42%.
Biden won the Utah Democratic primary.
Vermont
Haley won Vermont Tuesday night, her second win of 2024.
Biden won his second victory of the night.
Virginia
Trump was named the victor in Virginia’s Republican presidential primary not long after polls closed, as was Biden.
How many delegates do candidates need to win on Super Tuesday?
Before voting began Tuesday, Trump had 244 delegates while Haley had 43. By late Tuesday, Trump was up to 820, while Haley had 69. In the Republican race, there are 2,429 total delegates and 874 were up for grabs on Super Tuesday. To win the nomination, the Republican candidate needs a total of 1,215 delegates.
Supreme Court weighed in before Super Tuesday
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Trump cannot be disqualified by individual states from 2024 ballots. All nine justices concurred in the decision. This means that Trump will be on the ballot in Colorado, which originally removed him from the ballot.
Will No Labels make its big gamble? In January, Joe Cunningham, national director for No Labels, told the Deseret News that the group had its “eye on Super Tuesday. That’s always been the date for us to look at, to determine whether that’s a Trump vs. Biden rematch.” Haley has denied that she would run under the No Labels banner. It’s possible soon after Super Tuesday, a No Labels ticket could emerge and shake up the presidential race.
Super Tuesday exit polls
The southern border is expected to be a big issue for Republican voters. According to CBS News, Republican primary voters in Virginia ranked their most important issue as immigration (37%) followed by the economy (33%), foreign policy (11%) and abortion (11%).
Results are similar to Republican primary voters in a North Carolina poll conducted by CBS News who ranked immigration (43%) as the most important issue followed by the economy (31%), abortion (11%) and foreign policy (9%).