Republican Donald Trump rolled to victory on Saturday in South Carolina and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton beat back a strong challenge from Bernie Sanders in the Nevada caucuses.
The victories by Trump and Clinton solidified their positions as the front-runners to win their parties' respective presidential nominations ahead of the Nov. 8 election.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush suffered a distant fourth place finish and announced he had suspended his campaign, ending his dream of becoming a third Bush president after his father and brother.
"The people of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina have spoken, and I really respect their decision," an emotional Bush said in Columbia. He finished far out of the running in each of the first three states.
Trump won despite getting into a controversy with Pope Francis and having a debate performance that raised questions about his temperament in the days before the voting.
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Trump, 69, easily defeated Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who were in a close fight for second place and the right to declare themselves the main anti-Trump alternative.
With 57 percent of South Carolina precincts reporting, Trump had 33.9 percent, followed by Cruz with 21.8 percent and Rubio with 21.5 percent.
"People (pundits) gave me no chance in South Carolina. Now it looks like a possible win. I would be happy with a one vote victory! (HOPE)," Trump tweeted shortly before the television networks declared him the winner.
It was Trump's second victory in a row, after New Hampshire on Feb. 9, an outcome that frightens establishment Republicans but thrills the "throw-the-bums-out" conservative base of the party that has long been fed up with Washington.
A poor showing for former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who was running in a distant fourth place with 8.6 percent support, could mark the end of Bush's dreams of becoming a third Bush president after his father and brother.:
After South Carolina, the Republican presidential campaign is about to rapidly pick up steam in March when dozens of states hold nominating contests. Another candidate, Ohio Governor John Kasich, is concentrating on midwestern and northern states in the state-by-state contest to pick nominees for the Nov. 8 election.
Clinton's victory in the Nevada Democratic caucuses could help calm Democratic Party worries about the strength of her campaign.
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Her win denied Sanders the breakthrough win he sought in a state with a heavy minority population, but his ability to close a one-time double-digit polling lead for Clinton suggested the Democratic nominating race could be long and hard fought.