2016 Republican Party presidential primaries

2016 Republican Party presidential primaries

← 2012 February 1 to June 7, 2016 2020 →
2,472 delegates to the Republican National Convention 1,237 delegate votes needed to win
Candidate Donald Trump Ted Cruz Home state New York Texas Delegate count 1,441[1] 551[1] Contests won 41 11 Popular vote 14,015,993[1] 7,822,100[1] Percentage 44.9% 25.1%   Candidate Marco Rubio John Kasich Home state Florida Ohio Delegate count 173[1] 161[1] Contests won 3 1 Popular vote 3,515,576[1] 4,290,448[1] Percentage 11.3% 13.8%
First place by first-instance vote First place by delegate allocation First place by convention roll call   Donald Trump   Ted Cruz   Uncommitted   Marco Rubio   John Kasich   Tie
Previous Republican nominee Mitt Romney Republican nominee Donald Trump

2016 U.S. presidential election
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Republican Party
Primaries Candidates Debates and forums Polling national statewide straw polls Endorsements Results Nominee VP candidate selection Convention
Democratic Party
Primaries Candidates Debates and forums Polling national statewide straw polls Endorsements Results Nominee VP candidate selection Convention superdelegates
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Third-party and independent candidates Libertarian Party primaries debates nominee convention Green Party primaries debates nominee convention Constitution Party primaries nominee Reform Party primaries nominee American Solidarity Party Maturen Independents McMullin
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Presidential primaries and caucuses of the Republican Party took place within all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories between February 1 and June 7, 2016. These elections selected the 2,472 delegates that were sent to the Republican National Convention. Businessman and reality television personality Donald Trump won the Republican nomination for president of the United States.

A total of 17 major candidates entered the race. Prior to the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, this was the largest presidential primary field for any political party in American history.^[2] From early in the primary season, the race was characterized as a wide and diverse contest with no clear frontrunner. Early polling leaders included former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, among others. The race was disrupted by the unexpected entry of Trump in June 2015, who quickly rose to lead polls for the rest of the primary season, with the exception of a period in the fall when neurosurgeon Ben Carson experienced a surge in support.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas won the Iowa caucuses, while Trump won the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries as well as the Nevada caucuses. On Super Tuesday, Trump and Cruz traded states with Trump receiving the plurality of the day's delegates. From March 16 to May 3, only three candidates remained in the race: Trump, Cruz, and Ohio Governor John Kasich. Cruz won four Western contests and won in Wisconsin, keeping open a credible path to denying Trump the nomination on first ballot with 1,237 delegates. Trump scored landslide victories in New York and five northeastern states in April, before taking every delegate in the Indiana primary on May 3. Without any further chances of forcing a contested convention, Cruz suspended his campaign.^[3] Trump was declared the presumptive Republican nominee by Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus on May 3.^[4] Kasich ended his campaign the following day.^[5] After winning the Washington primary and gaining support from unbound North Dakota delegates on May 26,^[6] Trump passed the threshold of 1,237 delegates required to guarantee his nomination.^[7] By the end of the primary voting process, Trump had a commanding lead in the number of pledged delegates, ensuring a very smooth process for being declared the nominee. Trump received over 14 million votes, the most for any candidate in Republican primary history.^[8] However, at 44.95%, Trump had the lowest percentage of the popular primary vote for a major party nominee since the 1988 Democratic Party presidential primaries.

On July 19, 2016, Trump and his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, were officially nominated as the Republican presidential and vice presidential candidates at the Republican National Convention.^[9] Trump and Pence defeated the Democratic ticket of Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine in the general election on November 8, 2016, despite the Democratic ticket consistently leading in polls.^[10][11]