Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio takes home Puerto Rico primary win
Mar 6, 2016, 2:45 PM | Updated: 2:46 pm
Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Saturday, March 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio gained a slight advantage in the race for the White House on Sunday after taking home a win in the Puerto Rico primary.
BREAKING: Marco Rubio wins the Republican presidential primary in Puerto Rico. @AP race call at 4:26 p.m. EST. #Election2016 #APracecall
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 6, 2016
Rubio gained 23 delegates to put under his belt after receiving more than 70 percent of the votes in the territory. Republican front-runner Donald Trump fell to second place, receiving approximately 13 percent of votes.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz took home about 9 percent of the votes, while John Kasich fell to the last spot with approximately 1 percent of votes.
Sunday’s win gives Rubio a decent amount of delegates after falling to Trump and Cruz on Super Saturday. Trump took home victories in Kentucky and Louisiana, while Cruz won in both Kansas and Maine.
While Puerto Rico does not vote in the general election, the votes on Sunday determined which candidate scored the territory’s 23 delegates.
.@marcorubio won big today in Puerto Rico. All 23 delegates will be pledged to him at the GOP convention. On to Cleveland! #Marcomentum
— Luis Fortuño (@luisfortuno51) March 6, 2016
Rubio’s win in Puerto Rico also sets him up for a battle in the primary of his home state of Florida on March 15, where he is falling slightly behind Trump in preliminary polls.
At the Republican debate on Thursday, Rubio took several shots at the billionaire, saying Trump had “basically mocked everybody” over the past year.
Currently, Trump leads the party in delegates with 382, with Cruz falling slightly behind at 300 and Rubio with 128. 1,237 are needed to win the Republican nomination.
The candidates will face off next on Tuesday in Hawaii, Idaho, Michigan and Mississippi.
