Trump vows to 'unify' GOP after big night

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UPDATE: Donald Trump claimed victories in at least six Super Tuesday states tonight. During a press conference at a resort he owns in Palm Beach, Fla., he took responsibility for higher voter turnout in today’s presidential primaries and said he was expanding the Republican Party.

The real estate mogul also promised to build bridges with Middle Eastern countries, African-American voters, and Congress. He said if he became president, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., would have a great relationship with him, but added, “And if he doesn’t, he’ll pay a big price.”

Primary voters gave Trump a first-place finish in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Virginia. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has captured Texas and Oklahoma.

On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton celebrated big gains, too, winning six states so far: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Sen. Bernie Sanders picked up wins in his home state of Vermont and in Oklahoma. Clinton and Trump took aim at each other in their victory speeches, too.

“It’s clear tonight that the stakes in this election have never been higher and the rhetoric we’re hearing on the other side has never been lower,” Clinton said during a victory rally in Miami.

Meanwhile, Cruz urged his GOP competition to drop out of the race and lend their support to his campaign.

“For the candidates who have not yet won a state … I ask you to prayerfully consider coming together, uniting,” he told supporters in Houston. “That is the only way to beat Donald Trump.”

OUR EARLIER REPORT (6:01 p.m.): Twelve states hold presidential primaries or caucuses today, and if recent history repeats itself, the winners will see their names on the ballot in November.

About 22 percent of all Republican delegates and 25 percent of Democratic ones—more than on any other primary day in the election cycle—will be handed out to presidential hopefuls today. Super Tuesday started in earnest in 1988, when Democrats in the South convinced 12 states to hold their primaries on the same day in an effort to gain more influence in choosing the party’s nominee. Though it didn’t work for Democrats that year (Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis eventually won the nomination), the big contest has a perfect track record since then in choosing Republican candidates.

George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, George W. Bush, John McCain, and Mitt Romney all won the most delegates on their respective Super Tuesdays and went on to secure the nomination. After 1988’s Dukakis debacle, it worked for Democrats, too. Southerners got Bill Clinton and Al Gore as their nominees. John Kerry and Barack Obama also won the most states in their Super Tuesday primaries.

Entering today, with 604 delegates on the line, billionaire businessman Donald Trump leads the GOP delegate count (82), followed by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas (17), Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida (16), Ohio Gov. John Kasich (6), and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson (4). On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (546) holds a commanding lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders (87), I-Vt.

Visit WORLD’s Election Center ’16 to see interactive maps of each state and track the vote totals as they come in.

Alabama primary

Trump, Clinton take decisive victories

8:50 p.m. EST—Exit polls reported by ABC News showed that 6 in 10 Republican voters said they wanted a candidate who was a political outsider. Eight in 10 GOP voters wanted to ban Muslims from immigrating to the United States, and more than half supported deporting illegal immigrants.

Alabama assigns its delegates proportionally among candidates who win at least 20 percent of the vote. Rubio had a narrow lead for second place over Cruz in early returns; it’s possible only one of them will cross the 20 percent threshold to win delegates in Alabama.

8:05 p.m. EST—As soon as polls closed, Donald Trump was declared the winner of the Alabama Republican primary, while Hillary Clinton won the Democratic contest.

Alabama Republicans send 50 delegates to their convention, while the Democrats get 53.

Alaska Republican caucuses

Cruz wins his third Super Tuesday state

March 2, 8:10 a.m. EST—Sen. Ted Cruz of Florida won the final Super Tuesday state of the night, capturing the Republican caucuses in Alaska with 36 percent of the vote. Donald Trump finished in second with 34 percent, followed by Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida at 15 percent, Ben Carson at 11 percent, and Gov. John Kasich of Ohio at 4 percent.

It was Cruz’s third victory of the night.

Alaska sends 28 delegates to the Republican National Convention. Cruz picked up 12, while Trump added 11 to his total and Rubio netted five.

Arkansas primary

Clinton wins her former home state; Trump takes GOP victory

10:25 p.m. EST—With just a quarter of precincts reporting, the Associated Press has called the Arkansas Republican primary for Donald Trump, who carried 34.8 percent of the vote. Ted Cruz currently has 27.9 percent, with Marco Rubio in third with 24.7 percent.

8:35 p.m. EST—As expected, Hillary Clinton has won the Arkansas Democratic primary. Clinton’s husband Bill served as governor of Arkansas before running for president in 1992, and the couple retains a loyal base of support there.

The Republican contest is still too close to call.

Arkansas Democrats get 32 delegates at their convention, while Republicans send 40.

Colorado Democratic caucuses

Sanders gets his third win of the night

11:25 p.m. EST—Bernie Sanders is the projected winner of the Colorado Democratic caucuses. The senator from Vermont had an 18-point lead over Hillary Clinton with almost 30 percent of precincts reporting. Colorado is Sanders’ third win of the night. He also took Vermont and Oklahoma, but those victories put only a small dent in Clinton’s gigantic lead in the delegate count. Colorado has 66 delegates to the Democratic National Convention.

Georgia primary

Clinton, Trump declared early winners in Peach State

7:45 p.m. EST—The Associated Press has declared Donald Trump the winner of the Georgia Republican primary. But the billionaire businessman didn’t wait for any official determination. Moments after the polls closed, Trump tweeted: “Thank you Georgia.”

7:15 p.m. EST—As soon as the polls closed in Georgia, the Associated Press called the race in the Democratic primary for Hillary Clinton. After her win in South Carolina, her victory in the Peach State seemed fairly certain. Georgia will send 102 delegates to the Democratic Convention.

Georgia Republicans send 76 delegates to their convention.

Massachusetts primary

Trump declared winner in GOP contest; Clinton takes Democratic win

10:45 p.m. EST—The Associated Press announced this evening Hillary Clinton had won the Massachusetts Democratic primary by a slim margin. With 90 percent of precincts reporting, Clinton had 50.5 percent of the vote to Sanders’ 48.3.

8:15 p.m. EST—Donald Trump easily carried the Massachusetts Republican primary, with the Associated Press giving him victory as soon as the polls closed.

Republicans send 42 delegates from Massachusetts to their convention, while Democrats get 91.

Minnesota caucuses

Rubio claims first presidential primary victory; Sanders takes the Democratic race

11:40 p.m. EST—Bernie Sanders has won Minnesota’s Democratic caucus, clinching his fourth win of the night. With 56 percent of precincts reporting, Sanders has 59.3 percent of the vote, to Hillary Clinton’s 40.7 percent.

11:20 p.m. EST—Marco Rubio took his first and only Super Tuesday win in Minnesota, with 37.3 percent of the caucus vote. Ted Cruz came in second with 28 percent, while Donald Trump lagged behind with 21 percent.

With 15 percent of Democratic precincts reporting, Bernie Sanders leads Hillary Clinton with 58.7 percent of the vote. The Democratic race has not been called yet.

Minnesota Republicans get 38 delegates at their convention, while Democrats take 77.

Oklahoma primary

Cruz, Sanders buck trend in Buckeye State

9:15 p.m. EST—The Associated Press has called the Oklahoma GOP primary for Ted Cruz, giving the senator from Texas his second win of the night. Oklahoma has 43 Republican delegates compared to Texas’ 122, but Cruz’s win in the Sooner State, combined with his support in Texas, represents a solid bulwark against Trump’s onslaught in the Southeast.

Bernie Sanders beat Hillary Clinton in the Oklahoma primary, also his second victory today after he won his home state of Vermont. Oklahoma has 38 Democratic delegates.

Tennessee primary

Trump, Clinton carry Volunteer State

8:10 p.m. EST—Voters had only just cast the last ballots in the Volunteer State when the Associated Press called the race for Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Republicans send 58 delegates from Tennessee to their convention, while Democrats get 67.

Texas primary

Hometown favorite Cruz takes biggest Super Tuesday prize

9:57 p.m. EST—Sen. Ted. Cruz won almost every demographic group in Texas, with a few notable exceptions, according to CNN exit polls. Donald Trump won in the 25-to-29 age group, while Cruz took all the others. Trump also won voters with high and low incomes, but Texans making between $50,000 and $100,000 a year mostly voted for Cruz. The senator from Texas got the coveted evangelical vote and also curried favor with people who consider themselves “very conservative.” But among non-evangelicals and people who labeled themselves as “somewhat conservative” or “moderate,” Trump got the most votes.

9:05 p.m. EST —Sen. Ted Cruz has won his home state of Texas, unlocking the biggest stash of delegates available in today’s primaries. The Associated Press called the race for him with less than 2 percent of precincts reporting. Cruz’s victory marks Donald Trump’s first defeat after winning every GOP state race of the night so far.

Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary in Texas, which has 155 Republican delegates and 222 Democratic ones.

Vermont primary

Sanders declared early winner in his home state; Trump takes GOP prize

March 2, 12:10 a.m. EST—After a drawn-out contest, Donald Trump has won Vermont, with 32.5 percent of the vote. John Kasich came in second place, taking 30.7 percent. Marco Rubio came in third, with 19.3 percent, and Ted Cruz trailed with 9.7 percent.

7:57 p.m. EST—Bernie Sanders celebrated his home state victory by telling supporters there he will “win many hundreds of delegates” before the night is through. He vowed to "take our fight" to the remaining 35 states that have yet to have primary contests, pledging a “political revolution” where he and his supporters would stand up to the “billionaire class” that dominates the nation’s political system.

7:20 p.m. EST—As expected, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., carried his home state, beating rival Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary. Sanders cast his vote in the race early this morning and planned to wait for results surrounded by local supporters. Although well behind Clinton in the overall delegate count, Sanders vowed to keep going after tonight.

"I am confident that if there is a large voter turnout today across this country we are going to do well," Sanders said earlier today.

Vermont sends 16 delegates to both the Democratic and Republican conventions.

Virginia primary

Clinton takes victory as soon as polls close; Trump wins for GOP

8:55 p.m. EST—The Associated Press has called the Virginia Republican primary for Donald Trump, who has 35.7 percent of the vote with 88 percent of precincts reporting. Sen. Marco Rubio looks poised to take a strong second place finish, with 31.3 percent of the vote. Sen. Ted Cruz came in a distant third with 17 percent of the vote. Ohio Gov. John Kasich netted 8.9 percent, with Ben Carson taking 6.1 percent.

Despite the endorsement from Liberty University president Jerry Fallwell Jr., Trump did not do well in Lynchburg. Rubio and Cruz took first and second place in the county, with Trump coming in fourth. Lynchburg was one of only 10 counties Trump lost in Virginia.

8:30 p.m. EST—With 83 percent of the Republican votes counted, Donald Trump has a strong lead in Virginia, with 37 percent of the vote. Sen. Marco Rubio is holding a strong second in Virginia, with 30.1 percent. Sen. Ted Cruz is a distant third, with 17 percent. The race is still too close to call.

7:25 p.m. EST—The Associated Press called Virginia’s Democratic primary for Hillary Clinton not long after polls closed. The victory was not a surprise. Exit polls showed voters there were looking for an experienced candidate—one they believe can win in November. While Clinton has suffered from credibility issues, that wasn’t a problem for Virginia voters. According to exit polls, 6 in 10 said they found her honest and trustworthy.

Virginia sends 95 delegates to the Democratic convention and 49 to the Republican convention. The Republican race in Virginia is still too close to call.