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3 GOP candidates just got left in the dust

Colin CampbellFeb 21, 2016, 06:48 IST

Voters wait in line at a polling station in Greenville, South Carolina.REUTERS/Rainier Ehrhardt

South Carolina's Saturday primary quickly separated the six GOP presidential candidates into two groups: top-tier and second-tier candidates.

With about a quarter of precincts reporting, Donald Trump held a comfortable lead, with over 30% of the vote. Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio were competing for second with about 21% apiece.

The other three candidates - Jeb Bush, John Kasich, and Ben Carson - didn't appear as if they would break into double digits.

Bush had 8.5%, Kasich had 8.4%, and Carson had 6.1%, with 22% of precincts reporting.

This numbers were particularly disappointing for Bush, who started the race last year as a front-runner and campaigned aggressively in South Carolina. In contrast, Kasich wasn't even in the state on Saturday: He chose to spend the day campaigning in New England.

Bush suspended his campaign later in the night.

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