Trump wins North Dakota ahead of Super Tuesday vote
Donald Trump won the North Dakota Republican presidential caucuses on Monday, adding to his string of victories heading into Super Tuesday.
The former president finished first in voting conducted at 12 caucus sites, ahead of Nikki Haley. The result puts Mr Trump back on the winning track, which was briefly interrupted on Sunday when Ms Haley notched her first victory of the campaign in the District of Columbia’s primary.
The White House hopefuls now turn their attention to Super Tuesday, when results will pour in from 16 states and one territory in contests that amount to the single biggest delegate haul of any day in the presidential primary.
Mr Trump and President Joe Biden, a Democrat, are dominating their races and are on track to winning their nominations later this month.
Under North Dakota’s rules, candidates are eligible to win delegates if they finish with at least 20 per cent of the vote. However, a candidate who wins at least 60 per cent of the vote receives all of the state’s 29 delegates.
Four candidates were on the ballot, including Mr Trump and Ms Haley. The other candidates, who have received little attention, were Florida businessman David Stuckenberg and Texas businessman and pastor Ryan Binkley, who recently ended his campaign.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who ended his unsuccessful presidential campaign in December, was speaking on Mr Trump’s behalf on Monday night. He endorsed Mr Trump before the Iowa caucuses.
“I think we’re going to send a message that is going to be a kickoff to tomorrow, which is President Donald Trump is going to close this out, this is going to be the end of the trail, and we’re going to say we have a nominee, and let’s go after it, and beat Joe Biden in the fall,” Mr Burgum said in a virtual address.
Longtime Republican state senator Dick Dever said he voted for Ms Haley, but added she was unlikely to win.
The retired factory representative, 72, said: “I hear an awful lot of people say that they really liked Trump’s policies but they don’t like the way he conducts himself, and I think he’s gone overboard a bit.”
Caucus voters were encouraged to be paying party members, but those who wouldn’t pay $50 for annual membership were asked to sign a pledge to affiliate with the party, caucus Chair Robert Harms said.
North Dakota is the only state without voter registration. The caucuses followed official state voter identification protocols, such as providing a driver’s license. Voting was done only in person and on printed ballots, which were hand-counted.
In 2016, it was a North Dakota delegate who helped Mr Trump secure the number needed for the Republican presidential nomination.
He swept North Dakota’s three electoral college votes in 2016 and 2020, winning about 63 per cent and 65 per cent of those votes, respectively.