DEVELOPING: – Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who pitched himself as the best candidate to take on front-ruer Donald Trump, secured strong wins in Republican caucuses Saturday night, pulling major victories in Kansas and Kentucky, The Associated Press projects.
Cruz’s wins provide fresh evidence there’s no quick end in sight to the fractious GOP race for president.
Not to be outdone, Trump picked up his 12th victory in the Louisiana primary and Kentucky caucuses Saturday night.
Vermont Sen. Beie Sanders notched two wins in Nebraska and Kansas, while Democratic front-ruer Hillary Clinton snagged Louisiana.
Sanders vowed to keep fighting until the Democratic convention in Philadelphia this summer.
Cruz, a Tea Party favorite, attributed his strong showing to conservatives coalescing behind his candidacy, calling it a "manifestation of a real shift in momentum."
Tuout in Republican presidential caucuses in Kansas exceeded the party's most optimistic predictions.
State GOP Executive Director Clay Barker said at least 73,000 people cast ballots in Saturday's caucuses. He said there are another 6,000 provisional ballots and 1,000 absentee ballots sent to voters but not yet collected.
That compares to about 30,000 people voting in the state's GOP caucuses in 2012 and about 20,000 voting in 2008.
The party had 60,000 ballots printed this year and then waed caucus sites to be prepared to print more.
With the GOP race in chaos, establishment figures are looking for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance.
Party leaders -- including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain -- are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the GOP ticket.
"Everyone's trying to figure out how to stop Trump," Trump marveled about himself at an afteoon rally in Orlando, Florida. At the rally, the billionaire businessman had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.
Despite the support of many elected officials, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio came up short Saturday, raising serious questions about his viability in the race. Cruz suggested it was time for some Republican candidates to quit the race.
Rubio said the upcoming schedule of primaries is "better for us," and renewed his vow to win his home state of Florida, claiming all 99 delegates there on March 15.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.