Donald Trump Wins South Carolina Primary; Cruz and Rubio Vie for 2nd

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Donald J. Trump rolled to a commanding victory in the South Carolina primary on Saturday, solidifying his position as the Republican presidential front-runner after a savage campaign that drove Jeb Bush, the son and brother of presidents, to quit the race.

Mr. Trump ran ahead of Senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas, who were locked in a battle for second place. Both have struggled to become the principal alternative to Mr. Trump, a larger-than-life candidate from outside the political system whose nomination would upend the Republican Party.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Mr. Trump had won 33 percent of the vote and led his nearest rivals by about 10 percentage points.

Mr. Trump has benefited so far from the fractious group of candidates running against him. But the results in South Carolina began to narrow that field to a small and tenacious handful, who may give Mr. Trump a tougher challenge next month in a series of delegate-rich states, like Texas, Virginia and Florida.

Celebrating his triumph before a raucous crowd in Spartanburg, Mr. Trump trumpeted the “incredible movement” his campaign had become and looked ahead to the contests in March as an opportunity to lock up the nomination.

“Let’s put this thing away and let’s make America great again,” he said.

Mr. Bush, who has been on the receiving end of Mr. Trump’s hectoring throughout the campaign, withdrew before 9 p.m. after placing a distant fourth.

Speaking in a steady and subdued tone, and briefly choking up, Mr. Bush did not mention Mr. Trump by name, but said it was essential that the next president be a person who would serve the country “with honor and decency.” - Read More at the nytimes

Donald Trump Wins South Carolina Primary; Cruz and Rubio Vie for 2nd

Jeb Bush Bows Out of Campaign, Humbled and Outgunned