After South Carolina, GOP race becomes Trump's to lose
The blunt-talking billionaire posted his second straight victory in South Carolina's Republican primary Saturday, ending any lingering doubts that he could transform his passionate supporters into voters.
On the other side of the country, Hillary Clinton blunted concerns about her viability with a clear victory over Bernie Sanders in Nevada, the first state to test the Democrats' appeal among a racially diverse group of voters.
Though Trump's victory was vindication for political mavericks whose hunger for an outsider has defined this year's campaign, those fortunes didn't extend to Sanders.
From here, Republicans and Democrats swap places, with the GOP candidates preparing to face off Tuesday in Nevada and the Democrats four days later in South Carolina.
A string of victories for Clinton and Trump in those Super Tuesday contests would give them commanding leads in the delegate race, dampening prospects for their rivals to catch up.
When Trump jumped into the race eight months ago, most Republican leaders dismissed the real estate mogul, insisting the die-hards packing his amped-up rallies were fans, not real voters.
Rubio, the fresh-faced son of Cuban immigrants, has insisted he's the only Republican that can best Clinton or another Democrat with a voting public that's growing younger and more diverse.