WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton have won the presidential primaries in Alabama, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee. Clinton also won in Arkansas, Texas and in American Samoa, while Trump won in Massachusetts.
But Sen. Ted Cruz won his home state of Texas and neighboring Oklahoma.
Democrat Bernie Sanders won the contests in his home state of Vermont and in Oklahoma.
These latest wins put the two candidates ahead of their rivals in the group of contests known as Super Tuesday.
Trump, the Republican front-runner, had already won three of the previous four nomination contests, putting him ahead of his rivals, particularly Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, who many feel need a strong showing on Tuesday to keep their campaigns afloat.
Trump posted a message on Twitter reading "Thank you Georgia" moments after first polls closed.
According to early results of the exit poll conducted by Edison Research for the Associated Press and Television Networks, Clinton led in both Virginia and Georgia among both men and women. Sanders led among voters under 30 and Clinton held a commanding lead among those 45 and over.
In Vermont, Bernie Sanders was supported by overwhelming majorities of both men and women, and huge majorities of voters across all age groups.
Half of Vermont Democrats said they want the next president's policies to be more liberal than those of President Barack Obama.