Donald Trump is projected to finish on top in the state of Utah, ending speculation as to whether the presence of a Mormon independent candidate could roil the race.
The state is typically no problem for Republicans — the party has won the state in every presidential election over the past 52 years.
{mosads}But Trump had been running close in the polls to Evan McMullin, a former House Republican aide who has staked his entire campaign on winning Utah, as Mormons continued to sour on Trump’s conduct and comments about minorities.
The apparent victory slams the door on McMullin’s long-shot hope and keeps Clinton from benefiting from a fractured field to steal a Republican standby.