WASHINGTON (TIP): Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump have each won the most states on the biggest day of the race for the US presidential nominations.

Key Points

• Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton dominate ‘Super Tuesday’ primaries
• Clinton wins seven states but Democrat rival Bernie Sanders has four
• In Republican race, Senator Ted Cruz wins Texas, Oklahoma and Alaska to prevent a Trump clean sweep. Trump won seven
• Florida Senator Marco Rubio wins his first state in the race in Minnesota caucuses
• After earlier votes in four states in recent weeks, Trump leads the Republican field and Clinton the Democratic contest
• Mr. Trump won seven states while his closest rival, Ted Cruz, took three. The third-placed Republican, Marco Rubio, came in with one.

Speaking in his home state of Texas, Mr. Cruz urged other Republicans to quit the race and join him against Mr. Trump.

Democrat Bernie Sanders had wins in four states.

Super Tuesday saw 11 states voting, from Massachusetts in the east to Alaska in the north-west. A 12th state, Colorado, held a caucus – won by Mr. Sanders – but does not actually select its delegates until April.

Tuesday allocates nearly a quarter of Republican delegates, and about a fifth of Democratic delegates, who will elect their respective presidential candidates at party conventions in July. No candidate has yet won enough delegates to secure their party’s nomination.

Mrs Clinton, a former secretary of state, and Mr. Trump, a property tycoon, entered Super Tuesday as favorites to win the vast majority of states for their respective parties.

The Democratic frontrunner won in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Texas and Massachusetts, polling well among blocs of black voters.

Delivering her victory speech from Miami, having moved her campaign to Florida for the primary there on 15 March, in common with other candidates, she appeared to already be looking towards a potential presidential race against Mr. Trump.

“The stakes in this election have never been higher and the rhetoric we’re hearing on the other side has never been lower,” she said.

Donald Trump won the Republican primaries in  Alabama, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas and Vermont.

The billionaire insisted he had “expanded the Republican party”, referring to higher turnout from a broad demographic in states that have already voted.

He described himself as a “unifier” who could put internal fighting in the Republican party behind him and told reporters in Florida: “Once we get all this finished, I’m going after one person – Hillary Clinton.”

Super Tuesday states won:

Donald Trump (Republican): Alabama, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Vermont

Ted Cruz (Republican): Texas, Oklahoma, Alaska

Marco Rubio (Republican): Minnesota

Hillary Clinton (Democrat): Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Texas, Massachusetts, and the South Pacific territory of American Samoa

Bernie Sanders (Democrat): Vermont, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Colorado