Former President Donald Trump has won the Republican presidential primary in Colorado, overcoming a last-minute attempt by the state’s Supreme Court to remove him from the ballot. Trump defeated his only rival, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, by a wide margin, securing 37 delegates for the national convention in July.

Trump claims victory in Colorado

Trump claimed victory in Colorado shortly after the polls closed at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. He thanked his supporters and said he was confident of winning the nomination and defeating President Joe Biden in the general election.

“I am honored to have won the great state of Colorado, a beautiful place with wonderful people. We are going to make America great again, and we are going to beat Sleepy Joe Biden in November. He is a disaster for our country and our economy. We need strong leadership and a vision for the future. We are going to rebuild our military, secure our borders, unleash our energy, and restore our greatness. Thank you, Colorado!” Trump said in a statement.

Trump received about 62.6% of the vote, or 436,965 votes, according to the preliminary results from the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. Haley came in second with about 34% of the vote, or 238,954 votes. The turnout was about 31% of the total active voters in the state, or 1.2 million votes.

Haley vows to continue her campaign

Haley, who has been the only challenger to Trump in the Republican primary, conceded defeat in Colorado but vowed to continue her campaign until the convention. She said she was proud of her supporters and her message of unity and reform.

“I congratulate President Trump on his win in Colorado, but I am not giving up. I am still in this race, and I will fight for every delegate and every vote. I believe we need a new direction for our party and our country. We need to heal the divisions, restore the integrity, and renew the promise of America. We need a leader who can work with our allies, confront our enemies, and solve our problems. I am that leader, and I will not let you down,” Haley said in a speech.

Haley has won only one primary so far, in Washington, D.C., where she earned 19 delegates. She has also received endorsements from several prominent Republicans, such as former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, former Ohio Governor John Kasich, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She has campaigned on a platform of restoring America’s global leadership, strengthening the economy, and reforming the immigration system.

Colorado Supreme Court tried to block Trump from the ballot

Trump’s win in Colorado came after a legal battle that reached the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, March 4, 2024. The Colorado Supreme Court had ruled that Trump should not appear on the state’s ballot because of his role in the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to stop the certification of Biden’s victory. The court invoked the 14th Amendment, which bars anyone who has engaged in rebellion or insurrection against the U.S. from holding office.

However, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Colorado court’s decision, saying that only Congress has the power to remove federal candidates from the ballot. The court said that the Colorado court had violated the Constitution and the federal law that governs the presidential election process. The court also said that the Colorado court had acted too late, as the ballots had already been printed and mailed to the voters.

The Colorado Republican Party had supported Trump and opposed the Colorado court’s ruling. The party said that the ruling was an attempt to disenfranchise the Republican voters and interfere with the democratic process. The party also said that the ruling was based on a false premise, as Trump had not incited the violence at the Capitol and had condemned it afterward.

Trump leads the Republican race for the nomination

Trump’s win in Colorado adds to his already dominant position in the Republican race for the nomination. He has won nearly every primary and caucus so far, with the exception of Washington, D.C. He has also received the endorsement of most of the Republican governors, senators, and representatives, as well as many conservative media personalities and organizations.

Trump has 284 pledged delegates, more than half of the 515 that have been allocated so far. He needs 1,215 delegates to secure the nomination. If he wins all the 865 delegates that are up for grabs on Super Tuesday, March 7, 2024, he will be very close to clinching the nomination.

Super Tuesday is the biggest day in the primary calendar, as 16 states will hold their elections, including California, Texas, Florida, and New York. These states have the largest populations and the most delegates in the country. Trump is expected to win most of these states, as he has a strong base of support among the Republican voters.

Haley is the only candidate who can challenge Trump on Super Tuesday, but she faces an uphill battle. She has 62 pledged delegates, less than a tenth of Trump’s total. She has also struggled to gain traction among the Republican voters, who are largely loyal to Trump and his policies. She has tried to appeal to the moderate and independent voters, who are dissatisfied with both Trump and Biden, but she has not been able to expand her base beyond a small segment of the Republican Party.

Biden wins the Democratic primary in Colorado

On the Democratic side, President Joe Biden has won the Colorado primary, defeating his only rival, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Biden received about 55.4% of the vote, or 537,895 votes, according to the preliminary results from the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. Sanders came in second with about 39.6% of the vote, or 384,507 votes. The turnout was about 32% of the total active voters in the state, or 1.3 million votes.

Biden thanked his supporters and said he was ready to take on Trump in the general election. He said he was confident of winning Colorado and other swing states that Trump had won in 2020.

“I am grateful to the people of Colorado for their support and their trust. You have shown that you want a president who can bring our country together, not tear it apart. You want a president who can restore our leadership in the world, not isolate us from it. You want a president who can build back better, not make things worse. I am that president, and I will fight for you every day. Together, we will defeat Donald Trump and restore the soul of America,” Biden said in a statement.

Biden has won every primary and caucus so far, with the exception of New Hampshire, where Sanders won by a narrow margin. He has also received the endorsement of most of the Democratic governors, senators, and representatives, as well as many former presidential candidates, such as Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Senator Kamala Harris of California, and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of Indiana. He has campaigned on a platform of expanding the Affordable Care Act, combating climate change, and reforming the criminal justice system.

Biden has 1,023 pledged delegates, more than three-quarters of the 1,357 that have been allocated so far. He needs 1,991 delegates to secure the nomination. He is expected to win most of the states on Super Tuesday, as he has a wide lead over Sanders in the national polls and in most of the state polls.

Sanders, who has been the only challenger to Biden in the Democratic primary, conceded defeat in Colorado but vowed to continue his campaign until the convention. He said he was proud of his supporters and his movement for social and economic justice.

“I congratulate President Biden on his win in Colorado, but I am not giving up. I am still in this race, and I will fight for every delegate and every vote. I believe we need a political revolution to transform our country and create a government that works for all of us, not just the wealthy and the powerful. We need a leader who can take on the fossil fuel industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the military-industrial complex, and the corporate media. I am that leader, and I will not let you down,” Sanders said in a speech.

Sanders has won only one primary so far, in New Hampshire, where he earned 24 delegates. He has also received endorsements from several progressive leaders and organizations, such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and the Sunrise Movement. He has campaigned on a platform of Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, free college tuition, and a $15 minimum wage.