Former President Donald Trump won the Missouri Republican presidential caucus on Saturday, handily defeating Nikki Haley and inching himself closer to securing the party’s nomination.
The Associated Press called the race in Trump’s favor at 12:45 p.m. EST, just under two hours after voters gathered at their local precincts to cast their ballots in the caucus. The victory, which was all but expected for the former president, gives Trump a boost as he looks to lock up the GOP nomination in the coming weeks.
Trump’s win in Missouri is the first of several victories the former president can expect over the weekend as both Idaho and Michigan are also set to hold nominating contests on Saturday, both of which the former president is projected to win.
Trump has won every state where he has appeared on the ballot so far, with Haley falling far below the former president in every matchup. However, the former South Carolina governor has refused to drop out, arguing it’s crucial for the party to have an alternative to Trump.
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The Missouri caucus comes just days before Super Tuesday, on which 15 states will hold their primary elections all at once, and Trump is expected to reach the 1,215-delegate threshold needed to secure the party’s nomination.
So far in the primary cycle, Trump has locked up 155 presidential delegates, far outpacing Haley’s 24. That number will only increase for the former president by the time the weekend is over once delegates are awarded in Missouri, Idaho, and Michigan.
