In the Missouri Republican caucuses, former President Donald Trump emerges as the winner, according to projections by the Associated Press. This victory adds to Trump's successful track record, as he had already secured significant wins in previous contests leading up to this point.

The Associated Press called the race in favor of Trump early on Saturday afternoon, indicating his expected dominance in the state. Despite facing competition from former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Trump's popularity among Missouri Republicans prevailed.

Haley, after suffering a loss in her home state of South Carolina, made it clear that she intends to stay in the race at least until Super Tuesday on March 5. On that day, voters from 15 states will cast their ballots in the presidential primaries.

However, even though Trump triumphed decisively in Missouri, the state employs a unique system to allocate delegates. In what is known as the "caucus-convention system," Missouri awards a total of 54 delegates over several months.

Out of these delegates, 11 are awarded at the state level, while each of the eight congressional districts in Missouri grants five delegates. The remaining three delegates hold positions within the Missouri Republican Party and have the freedom to support any candidate of their choice, irrespective of the caucus results.

At individual caucus sites, a candidate must secure over 50% of the votes to win all the delegates from that particular site. If no candidate reaches this threshold, delegates are distributed proportionately among those who received a significant share of the vote.

As the journey continues towards the Republican nomination, Trump's victory in the Missouri Republican caucuses strengthens his position as a leading candidate. With more primary contests on the horizon, the former president remains a formidable force in the race for the party's presidential nomination.

The Associated Press has contributed to the reporting of this article.