Super Tuesday Live Arkansas Republican Primary Results: Trump Projected Winner

Update 9:21 p.m.: Donald Trump has been projected the winner of the Republican Primary in Arkansas by the Associated Press. The race proved to be one of the closest of Super Tuesday. For almost two hours after polls closed, the primary was too close to call.

Arkansas has emerged as a closely-contested battleground in the GOP Primary — with Ted Cruz holding a slim lead in the polls, and Marco Rubio winning the endorsement battle as voters take to the polls this Super Tuesday.

Polls in Arkansas close at 7:30 p.m. CST.

• Check back with Patch tonight for real-time Arkansas GOP primary results as they come in.
• SEE ALSO: Arkansas Democratic Primary 2016 Results And Winner
• See Also: ‘Establishment Republicans, Whoever They Are, Try To Stop Trump’

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz led with 27 points in the latest statewide poll, conducted February 4 by Talk Business and Hendrix College. Businessman Donald Trump and Sen. Marco Rubio were close behind, with 23 points each. The remaining candidates — Ben Carson and John Kasich — had 11 and 4 points respectively.

But Rubio may be gaining ground in the state. The Senator from Florida pick up endorsements from two congressmen — Steve Womack and Rick Crawford — and Gov. Asa Hutchinson in February. Hutchinson and Crawford had previously endorsed Mike Huckabee, who served as governor in Arkansas for nine years.

Rubio may also be pleased to hear that in the 2012 primary, establishment candidate Mitt Romney won with 68 percent of the vote, beating outsiders Ron Paul and Rick Santorum.

Following voting in four states, Trump holds a commanding lead in delegate count with 82. Cruz has 17 pledged delegates, Rubio 16, Kasich 6 and Carson 4.

Images via Gage Skidmore, Flickr, used under Creative Commons