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Marco Rubio wins Puerto Rico primary

By Eric DuVall
Republican presidential candidate and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio gives a thumbs up after addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), March 5, 2016, in National Harbor, Maryland. Thousands of conservative activists, Republicans and Tea Party Patriots gathered to hear politicians, presidential hopefuls and radio and TV hosts speak, lobby and network ahead of the presidential election in 2016. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI
Republican presidential candidate and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio gives a thumbs up after addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), March 5, 2016, in National Harbor, Maryland. Thousands of conservative activists, Republicans and Tea Party Patriots gathered to hear politicians, presidential hopefuls and radio and TV hosts speak, lobby and network ahead of the presidential election in 2016. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 6 (UPI) -- Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will win the Republican presidential primary in Puerto Rico, handing him his second victory in what has become a long-shot bid to capture his party's nomination.

CNN reports Rubio is close to the 50 percent threshold that would allow him to sweep all 23 delegates -- the same number as were available in New Hampshire -- that are at stake in the contest.

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Rubio struggled in contests held in four states Saturday, finishing a distant third or fourth to front-runner Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Rubio skipped campaigning for last-minute votes in those four states and instead headed to Puerto Rico's capital San Juan to campaign there Saturday. Rubio, who is the son of Cuban immigrants and who speaks Spanish fluently, was heavily favored to win in the U.S territory.

The race there was dominated by debate over the debt crisis the island nation's government is facing. Puerto Rico owes creditors $73 billion, and many on the island have called on the U.S. government to craft a bailout package to address it. No other candidate campaigned there and the GOP has opposed crafting a bailout package in Congress -- a deeply unpopular stance for many Puerto Ricans.

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Puerto Rico will send delegates to both parties' nominating conventions, but residents there are not permitted to vote in the general election.

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