Republican, Democratic presidential candidates neck-and-neck in Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- National front-runners Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were facing tough challenges Tuesday in Missouri's Democratic and Republican primaries on a potentially pivotal day in the presidential campaign.

With more than 90 percent of precincts reporting results, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was narrowly ahead of the former secretary of state, but many of the still uncounted votes were in the St. Louis area, where Clinton was leading.

Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders speaks at a rally Monday at The Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri.Jeff Roberson ~ Associcated Press

Trump, the billionaire businessman, was locked in a dead heat with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in the Republican race.

They were separated by just a few thousand votes out of about 880,000 that already had been reported.

Victories by Clinton and Trump could add to their growing national strength.

Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton acknowledges the crowd Tuesday in West Palm Beach, Florida.Lynne Sladky ~ Associated Press

Clinton won Florida, North Carolina and Ohio on Tuesday, substantially padding her delegate lead over Sanders.

Trump won delegate-rich Florida on Tuesday, causing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to suspend his campaign.

Trump also won North Carolina and Illinois but lost to Ohio Gov. John Kasich in Ohio's winner-take-all primary.

Sanders and Cruz were hoping a win in Missouri could help sustain their campaign for a prolonged national challenge.

At stake in Missouri are 71 delegates to the Democratic National Convention to be awarded proportionally based on the votes candidates receive statewide and in each of the state's eight congressional districts.

Republican candidate Donald Trump speaks to a crowd Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri.Nati Harnik ~ Associated Press

Republicans were allotting 52 Missouri delegates based on the primary results.

If no candidate carries a majority of the votes, the GOP delegates are to be given partly to the top statewide vote-getter and partly to the winners in each congressional district.

Some voters expressed a desire for change but differed on who best could provide that. Others said their votes were based on either a strong like or dislike of front-runners Trump and Clinton.

"I voted for Donald Trump because he's a straight talker, there's no beating around the bush with him. It's about time we get a businessman in there instead of a career politician," said Bart Hawkins, a 53-year-old retired railroad worker and Army veteran from Belton, south of Kansas City.

Eric Fields, a 58-year-old man on disability from Lee's Summit, said he also wants a new direction for the country. Fields, who chose a Democratic ballot, said this was just the second time he has voted in his life.

Republican candidate Ted Cruz speaks during an election night watch party Tuesday in Houston.David J. Phillip ~ Associated Press

"I voted for Bernie because our political system is messed up, stuck. We need someone to change it, and he's the only thing available right now. Bernie is our option," Fields said.

Trump was on the minds of many voters, whether they supported him or not.

University of Missouri- Columbia medical student Alexander Finck said he voted for Clinton because she is more centrist than Sanders, and "I think she's the best chance to stop somebody like Trump in the future."

Some supporters of Cruz, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich also cited concerns about Trump -- particularly his brash demeanor -- in explaining their votes in the Republican primary.

"I was really torn, but I'm kind of nervous that if Trump gets in we don't know what's going to happen," said Connie Clark, a 51-year-old Kansas City grocery store employee. "I feel more secure with Cruz."

Voters in both the Democratic and Republican primaries said the economy is a key issue in the 2016 presidential race, according to exit polls interviews conducted Tuesday. Republican voters were not optimistic about the direction of the economy, while Democrats overwhelmingly felt the economic system favors the wealthy.

Missouri received little personal attention from any of the candidates until the final few days before the election. But the top contenders held a combined 10 rallies around the state from Friday through Monday.

Political passions ran high at some events. Trump's rallies in St. Louis and Kansas City were repeatedly interrupted by protesters. Police made arrests in both cities and used pepper spray to disperse two groups that police said appeared ready to fight outside a theater hosting Trump's Kansas City event.

Rubio and Kasich didn't target Missouri as the election neared, instead focusing on must-win primaries in their home states.