​Sanders wins Michigan; Clinton takes Mississippi

US Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has won the Michigan Democratic primary while frontrunner Hillary Clinton triumphed in Mississippi.

"This has been a fantastic night in Michigan," Sanders said shortly before the race was called in his favor in Michigan, one of two states holding Democratic presidential nominating contests on Tuesday.

With 99 percent of the precincts reported, Sanders had 49.9 percent of the vote to Clinton's 48.2 percent in Michigan, where 130 delegates are at stake.

“What tonight means it that the Bernie Sanders campaign, the people’s revolution that we are talking about, is strong in every part of the country and frankly we believe that our strongest areas are yet to happen,” said the senator. 

“I want to thank the people of Michigan who repudiated the polls which had us down 20-25 points and repudiated the pundits who said Bernie Sanders wasn’t going anywhere,” he added.

Clinton earlier won Mississippi by a wide margin, continuing a spectacular run in southern America where she has so far attracted the large African American vote.

Speaking at an evening rally in Cleveland before the Michigan results were announced, Clinton avoided criticizing Sanders, but slammed Republicans.

“I’m proud of the campaign that Sen. Sanders and I are running. We have our differences as you can see when we debate,” she said.

“Those differences pale in comparison to what’s happening on the Republican side. Every time you think it can’t get any uglier they find a way,” said Clinton. “As the rhetoric keeps sinking lower, the stakes in this election keep getting higher.”

Trump wins Mississippi, Michigan primaries

On the Republican side, Donald Trump triumphed in Michigan and Mississippi, rattling nerves of his rivals who are attempting to stop his drive for the Republican presidential nomination.

Republican voters also cast ballots in Idaho and Hawaii on Tuesday to choose their candidates for the Republican nominee for president.

Ted Cruz, however, defeated Trump in the Idaho primary.  With 97 percent of the results reported, Cruz received 45 percent of the vote and Trump had 28 percent of the vote. Idaho has 32 Republican delegates. 

"There's only one person (who) did well tonight: Donald Trump," Trump declared while speaking to supporters who gathered at his golf club in Jupiter, Florida.

The billionaire businessman said his victories show the American people are brilliant because they did not fall in to “horrible lies" told by opponents and "special interests" trying to block him. Michigan has 59 Republican delegates and Mississippi 40.

Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich battled for second place in Michigan, while Cruz finished a distant second to Trump in Mississippi.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk