Arizona, Illinois and Florida primaries move forward despite COVID-19 fears
Reaction from Arizona GOP chairwoman Dr. Kelli Ward.
President Trump has officially secured the 2020 Republican presidential nomination after victories in the Florida and Illinois primaries Tuesday, according to an Associated Press delegate count.
Trump surpassed the 1,276 delegates needed to secure the nomination two months earlier than he did in 2016, when he battled a huge field of rivals as an insurgent candidate.
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"The Republican Party is more unified and energized than ever before and it’s because of President Trump’s leadership and clear record of accomplishment on behalf of all Americans," Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement. "As his response to the coronavirus has shown, and as the broad and strong economy demonstrates, the President wakes up every day putting America first in every decision he makes. And voters have responded."
This put an end to the longshot challenges that Trump faced, from candidates including former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, former Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh, and former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford.
None of the other candidates posed much of a threat, with only Weld winning any delegates. Weld won a single delegate at the Iowa caucuses.
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Others such as former Ohio governor and 2016 candidate John Kasich had been rumored as potential 2020 opponents, but a serious challenger never surfaced.
Meanwhile, the Democratic nomination remains up for grabs, though former Vice President Joe Biden is increasing his lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, in the contest.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
