Donald Trump won more delegates than his Republican rivals in Tuesday's elections, thanks to his big victory in winner-take-all Arizona. But Ted Cruz crushed Trump in the GOP's Utah caucus, and in doing so he accomplished something Trump has so far failed to achieve: He won more than 50 percent of the vote. Cruz's 69 percent in Utah means he will get the state's 40 delegates outright, but it also gives him bragging rights of a sort: Trump may be beating Cruz in delegates, but he still hasn't topped 50 percent in any state.
What's more, Cruz has won a majority of a state twice now, after his blowout 66 percent victory in the Wyoming caucuses. (Marco Rubio, before he dropped out, topped that with 71 percent in Puerto Rico, which, of course, isn't a state, though it has almost as many delegates as Wyoming.) This feat won't win Cruz the nomination, but he might be able to use it as a talking point if Trump doesn't secure an outright majority of delegates before the Republican convention.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last yearspeed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
'Despite all past efforts, system failures occur'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Gabbard fires intelligence chiefs after Venezuela reportspeed read Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has fired the top two officials leading the National Intelligence Council
-
Gabbard fires intelligence chiefs after Venezuela report
speed read Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has fired the top two officials leading the National Intelligence Council
-
Trump vows to lift Syria sanctionsspeed read The move would help the new government stabilize the country following years of civil war
-
Senate rejects Trump's Library of Congress takeoverspeed read Congress resisted the president's attempts to control 'the legislative branch's premier research body'
-
Hamas frees US hostage in deal sidelining Israelspeed read Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old soldier, was the final living US citizen held by the militant group
-
White Afrikaners land in US as Trump-declared refugeesspeed read An exception was made to Trump's near-total ban on admitting refugees for the white South Africans
-
Qatar luxury jet gift clouds Trump trip to Mideastspeed read Qatar is said to be presenting Trump with a $400 million plane, which would be among the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the US government
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney postspeed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff dealspeed read President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer struck a 'historic' agreement to eliminate some of the former's imposed tariffs
