Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton dominate nomination race for USA presidential election

Hillary Clinton enters a series of Super Tuesday contests poised to extend her lead over Democratic rival Bernie Sanders, who risks a major setback for his insurgent campaign with a poor showing in primaries and caucuses across the nation.

If vote margins aren't too tight, expect rolling waves of race calls as polls close in various states: Georgia, Virginia and Vermont at 7 p.m. EST; Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma and MA at 8 p.m.; Arkansas at 8:30 p.m.; Texas, Minnesota and Colorado at 9 p.m.; Alaska at midnight. A new nationwide poll released yesterday said each of them were well ahead of their closest rivals on the eve of the "Super Tuesday" showdown.

Democrats will vote in 11 states and American Samoa on Tuesday, with 865 delegates up for grabs.

Mr. Trump is hoping to seal the Republican nomination against opposition from Mr. Cruz, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, Ohio Governor John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.

Marco Rubio said of Trump, "What he's trying to carry out is a scam to take control of the office of the presidency of the United States". Both Clinton and Trump had commanding wins in SC.

The rare comments on the presidential race from Ryan, who typically declines to answer questions from reporters on the subject, come as top Republicans in Washington grow increasingly concerned that Trump, who has won three straight GOP primary contests, is on the path to win the GOP presidential nomination.

Super Tuesday is the day in the presidential primary election season in which the largest number of states holds their primaries or caucuses. "Our turnout was small, but like our fellow Americans in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, we've made our voices heard about the issues that matter to us", the head of Democrats Abroad New Zealand Kat Allikian said.

The state's most hotly contested primary was in 2008, when 1.8 million voters cast their ballots. She's backed off of Sanders in most of her speeches and has turned her eyes on Donald Trump.

For the Democrats, there is former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Even if Cruz wins the state, he's not guaranteed all 155 GOP delegates; the state awards them proportionally.

12 states - hundreds of delegates, and seven candidates all hoping to stay in the race. Now party leaders are divided between those who pledge to fall in line behind Trump if he wins their party's nomination and others who insist they can never back him.

Cruz's strategy of racking up Southern and evangelical votes has been wrecked by Trump.

The ex-president and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh appeared together at a polling place in the city's West Roxbury neighborhood early Tuesday, where they greeted voters and school children. For Rubio and Cruz, it is not so much about overtaking Trump in delegates as it is about containing his lead. Moreover, of course, the bigger Cruz's lead is in Texas, the more delegates he will amass.

Sanders says "this is a campaign that is going to the Philadelphia convention in July".

Trump's supporters are incredibly enthusiastic about the coming election, and largely committed in their support for him.

"I think he has to get out", Trump told Fox and Friends on Tuesday. If Sanders can't show strength beyond his Northeast home base in Vermont and neighboring MA, he'll know he's in big trouble.

Clinton is hoping her popularity with older black voters pays dividends on Super Tuesday.