Bernie Sanders Projected To Win Colorado's Democratic Primary

DENVER (CBS4) - Bernie Sanders is projected to win Colorado's Democratic primary. President Donald Trump is projected to win the state's Republican primary.

Sanders secured 36.3% of the votes, while Michael Bloomberg followed behind with 23.5%.

Supporters at Sanders' camp erupted into cheers and chants following early results.

Volunteers for Sanders say they've had a strong base of supporters.

"We have about 15,000 volunteers in Colorado. We've been doing this for months. We've been sending text messages and calling people, knocking on doors... We have a very dedicated organization here," one volunteer told CBSN Denver.

In Colorado's first presidential primary in two decades, a surge of Coloradans headed to the polls to vote before 7 p.m.  As of 3 p.m. on Super Tuesday, more than 1.4 million ballots were returned.

Unaffiliated voters make up a the largest group of voters.

A non-binding caucus system was replaced by the primary, which was dropped after 2000 to help the state save money.

In Colorado, voters place more importance on defeating President Donald Trump, with a 57% majority choosing that option, according to a Magellan Strategies poll. 36% say their preference is based on a candidate's values. 3% have no opinion and 4% did not answer.

PHOTO GALLERY: Super Tuesday In Colorado

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