Cruz won't seek recount of Missouri primary loss to Trump

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Republican businessman Donald Trump finally has locked up his narrow victory in Missouri's presidential primary -- five weeks after the votes were cast.

Trump's win was solidified Tuesday as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz decided not to seek a recount of the March 15 primary.

Cruz campaign manager Jeff Roe confirmed Cruz would not ask for a recount. Under Missouri law, candidates who lost by less than one-half of a percentage point faced an end-of-Tuesday deadline to request a recount, which would have been undertaken at state expense.

Trump defeated Cruz by 1,965 votes out of more than 939,000 cast in the Republican primary -- a margin of about one-fifth of a percentage point.

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton defeated Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders by 1,574 votes out of more than 629,000 cast in the Democratic primary -- a margin of one-quarter of a percentage point. Sanders had said previously he wouldn't seek a recount.

Although both races were similarly close, Trump will gain a greater delegate advantage because of differing rules used by Republicans and Democrats.

Trump will get 37 delegates to the Republican National Convention and Cruz will get 15. Of that total, Trump will receive 12 delegates for getting the most votes statewide.

The rest of the delegates are awarded in chunks of five to the winners in each of the state's congressional districts. Trump will get 25 delegates for getting the most votes in the 1st and 2nd districts in the St. Louis area, the 3rd District in east-central Missouri, the 6th District in northern Missouri and the 8th District in Southeast Missouri.

Cruz will get 15 congressional district delegates for getting the most votes in the 4th District in west-central Missouri, the 5th District in the Kansas City area and the 7th District in southwest Missouri.

Missouri's 71 Democratic delegates are awarded proportionally based on the votes candidates received statewide and in each of the state's eight congressional districts. Sanders carried six congressional districts and Clinton two, but Clinton won handily in a heavily Democratic district in St. Louis that has more delegates. Several other districts had close margins. Clinton will get 36 delegates and Sanders 35.

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