Trump, Clinton favourites for primaries

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (left) holds up a key he brought onto the stage with him as he speaks at a campaign rally in Madison, Mississippi, on Monday. (Photo: AP) Voters in four US states head to the polls Tuesday to confirm or rein in Donald Trump’s status as clear Republican frontrunner in primary contests that Democrat Hillary Clinton hopes will further solidify her lead over Bernie Sanders.

As the race for the White House heats up, the spotlight shifts to Michigan and Mississippi, where both Republican and Democratic balloting will take place. Republicans will vote in a primary in Idaho while Hawaii hosts a Republican caucus.

The latest round of voting comes amid a rapidly evolving situation in the Republican fight for the nomination.

With every passing week, billionaire real estate mogul Trump is seeing his lead reinforced. Having so far pocketed 12 out of 20 contests, the 69-year-old has the most delegates in hand and saw success in regions as different as the Northeast and South.

But nipping at his heels is Texas Senator Ted Cruz, 45-year-old champion of the religious right, who did well at home and in nearby states.

However, the Republican anti-Trump camp — who has considered Mr Cruz to be too uncompromising to unite the Republican party — has been reluctant to support Mr Cruz over Marco Rubio, 44, trailing in third place, whose survival test will be the primary next week in his homestate of Florida.

In an attempt to counter Mr Trump’s advance, campaign ads depicting him as a charlatan have been financed by Republicans dismayed that a man who once flirted with the Democratic party could become the GOP flag bearer in November’s presidential elections.

One such ad, to be shown in Florida, shows snippets of Mr Trump using profane language while out on the campaign trail. Financed by the American Future Fund — which has not revealed its donors — the ad campaign has a budget of several million dollars, according to its spokesman Stuart Roy.

Other ads, created by the Club for Growth, target Republicans in Illinois. Florida, Illinois and other states will vote on March 15 in a sequel to March 1’s “Super Tuesday.”