Super Tuesday 2016: Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton lead as voters head to the polls

DONALD Trump is a formidable contender for the White House after a Super Tuesday thumping, as Hillary Clinton was also successful.

PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 01: Republican Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump speaks to the media at his Mar-A-Lago Club on Super Tuesday, March 1, 2016 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump held a press conference, flanked by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, after the polls closed in a dozen states nationwide. John Moore/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

• Donald Trump wins seven ‘Super Tuesday’ states.

• Hillary Clinton wins seven states.

• Bernie Sanders wins four states.

• Marco Rubio wins first caucus in Minnesota.

• Ted Cruz wins Texas and Oklahoma.

DONALD Trump is a formidable contender in the race for the White House, winning the support of voters all over the US in a Super Tuesday thumping that boosted his control of the primaries.

The scale of Mr Trump’s support – stretching across white conservative states in the north, moderate states on the east coast and racially diverse states in the south - sets the billionaire up to be a dangerous candidate against likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Both Mr Trump and Ms Clinton dominated their races in the biggest voting day of the US primaries season, racking up wins in a slew of states across the country.

Mr Trump has opened up a solid delegate lead over his challengers for the Republican nomination, who are locked in a messy battle for second place.

But it’s the diversity of Mr Trump’s state-by-state wins that makes the billionaire such a threatening candidate.

Defeating opponents in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee and Virginia, Mr Trump cuts across sociological and ideological divides in the US, uniting a wide base of angry voters who say in exit polls that they are fed up with traditional politicians.

A Washington Post analysis last night revealed no republican nominee has ever won all of the different states Mr Trump has so far racked up.

Cardboard cut-outs of 2016 US Presidential hopefuls (from left) Ted Cruz, Donald Trump and Marco Rubio on urinals in a pub in London as part of an informal poll for customers to log which they dislike the most.

Trump’s opponents, the evangelical Ted Cruz and moderate Marco Rubio, each also got runs on the board - but nothing close to Trump’s victory.

However, their wins – Mr Cruz in his home state of Texas and the neighbouring Oklahoma and Mr Rubio in Minnesota – prolong the wide, splintered republican field which has so far served to boost Mr Trump’s dominance.

Thank you Georgia!#SuperTuesday #Trump2016

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 2, 2016

Signalling an expectation he would win the nomination, Mr Trump largely pivoted his attack to Ms Clinton when he declared victory in his flashy Mar-a-Lago gold ballroom in Florida.

“I am a unifier, I know some people will find that hard to believe... but when we get past all this I am going to go after one person,” he said.

“Hillary Clinton”.

Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton has won seven primaries to Bernie Sanders’ four. Picture: AFP/Rhona Wise.

Mr Trump took a moderate, measured tone that differed to his usual brand of brash and labelled himself a “common sense conservative”.

Ms Clinton’s lead over rival Bernie Sanders also widened, despite the her challenger’s ability to clock wins in several states that will keep him in the race.

A man holds a photo of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump before a rally on Super Tuesday.

Ms Clinton won across Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Massachusetts and Texas, while Mr Sanders took his home state of Vermont as well as Oklahoma, Colorado and Minnesota.

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders waves as he leaves a news conference after voting in the Vermont primary.

Ms Clinton used her victory speech to attack Mr Trump in preparation for a general election showdown:

“America never stopped being great. We have to make America whole,” she said, referring to Trump’s catchcry ‘make America great again’.

“It’s clear tonight that the stakes of this election have never been higher. And the rhetoric we’re hearing on the other side has never been lower.”

The race now shifts to dramatic winner-take-all contests, in which a win in a single state delivers a candidate a huge hit of delegates.

So far, delegates have been divided proportionally to the vote.