Former President Donald Trump won Michigan’s Republican presidential primary on Tuesday, beating former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley by over 30 percentage points.
The Associated Press called the race shortly after polls closed. With 12% of votes counted, Trump led Haley 66% to 29.4%, per The New York Times’ forecast.
“We have a simple task – we have to win on Nov. 5,” Trump told supporters in Grand Rapids, referring to the general election. “We win Michigan, we win the whole thing.”
Trump has dominated primaries so far, winning Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina decisively.
Haley claimed the results showed Trump’s weakness: “This will continue across the country,” she said. An aide slammed the “fractured” state GOP.
President Joe Biden easily won the Democratic primary with around 80% of votes. He faced protest votes from some Muslims upset with his Israel policies.
With a quarter reporting, Republican turnout was significantly higher than Democratic turnout so far.
The primaries highlighted enthusiasm for Trump but also intraparty divisions. As the race continues, Michigan will likely remain a key battleground state.