Fox News called the race for Trump at 8:24 p.m. EST, and NBC News followed shortly after.

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Mississippi awards only 40 delegates, but the victory gives Trump bragging rights in territory that historically would be Cruz country.

Mississippi is a deeply conservative and heavily evangelical state, two factors the play to Cruz's strengths.

And the state borders Louisiana, where Cruz made a stunning late surge and almost beat Trump in Saturday's primary.

Pundits were watching the Mississippi totals closely for signs of a fading Trump momentum in the wake of the near-miss in Louisiana.