Trump wins GOP primary in Colorado

• In a sign of his dominance in Colorado, the Associated Press called the race for Trump nine minutes after polls closed at 7pm.

State of play: Trump entered the contest with the backing of the state Republican Party, which endorsed his re-election bid before the Iowa caucus.

• Hours before polls closed, the GOP chairman sent all members a reminder to vote in order to "make sure President Trump has a convincing win."

Yes, but: Colorado posed a unique opportunity for Haley to interrupt Trump's march toward the nomination because independent voters represent about half the electorate and the bloc tends to favor centrist policies.

• Haley visited the state a week before the primary and urged Republicans to "go with something new." Unaffiliated voters received text messages Tuesday promoting her campaign.

By the numbers: About one-third of Republican primary ballots through midday came from unaffiliated voters, state data shows, but not enough supported Haley to tip the scales.

What they're saying: Christopher Lundy, an unaffiliated voter from Boulder, voted for Haley. He told the Denver Gazette that Trump "just OK."

• "We're all excited about Nikki Haley having a slim chance," he said. "I would love to see her become the first woman president."

Between the lines: The names of a handful of Republican candidates who exited the race earlier in the campaign still appeared on the ballot and collectively received about 3%.

What's next: The statewide primary vote draws the most attention, but how it breaks down by congressional district will determine the delegate allocation to the Republican National Convention.

• Colorado will send 37 delegates. The results are expected to become clear later this week.