Fifteen states held primary contests on Tuesday. With votes still being counted, North Carolina, Virginia, Maine and Tennessee were among the states the Associated Press called for Trump.

The March Super Tuesday contests award more than one-third of the delegates needed to win the nomination. Trump’s dominance in every race over his sole remaining rival Nikki Haley served to highlight the tightening grip he has on the Republican party. He is on track to lock down the nomination by mid-March, setting up a rematch against President Joe Biden in November.

Haley’s campaign has vowed to look beyond Super Tuesday, but the delegate math makes it clear there is no path for her to earn the nomination. Staying in the race is essentially an insurance policy for an unforeseen event, which knocks Trump out of the general election, or a bid to position herself for the 2028 presidential race.

Trump has remained popular with GOP primary voters of all ages, genders and races, including the working-class and college-educated Republicans, according to exit polling from early states. Haley has sought to appeal to moderate Republicans who want to move past Trump, but so far has been unable to amass a coalition to rival the former president’s support.

A series of legal troubles worked to supercharge Trump’s White House comeback bid as Republicans largely coalesced around the former president. He is facing four criminal indictments from cases related to his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his handling of classified information.

While Trump’s team has dominated the early voting contests, it also moved to lock up support in more subtle ways. Trump will essentially take over the Republican National Committee on Friday, when party members are scheduled to vote on two hand-picked allies to lead the party for the remainder of 2024. Many of Trump’s critics in Congress have either retired or have announced their plans to leave leadership, as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell did last week.

The Supreme Court recently ruled in Trump’s favor as he sought to have his name reinstated on ballots in Colorado after the state’s top court ruled he could be removed. In December, the Colorado court said Trump could not appear on the ballot given his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol.

“President Trump is on a massive winning streak,” said Garrett Ventry, Republican strategist and Trump supporter. “Trump looks unstoppable right now.”

Trump’s Strategy

Part of Trump’s momentum comes from his own organization. His top campaign aides are running a far more efficient and sophisticated operation this cycle, leading to fewer unforced errors and little infighting, which were common during his prior campaigns and White House tenure.

Trump has spent far less time on the campaign trail than Haley and other challengers. Trump has shown up in the early voting states only for major events and rallies, while leaning on a team of surrogates, including Representative Matt Gaetz, Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake or his daughter-in-law Lara Trump to bolster his presence at smaller events.

A quick end to the GOP primary behooves Trump, who is facing 91 felony counts and additional civil lawsuits. His court appearances are scheduled to ramp up this spring and threaten to keep him off the campaign trail.

The legal issues are also impacting his finances. Trump’s political operation has spent more than $50 million on his defense. He personally owes hundreds of millions of dollars in court judgments that could force him to sell assets or properties to cover those costs.