Ted Cruz on Saturday night placed third in the South Carolina Republican presidential primary, narrowly trailing Marco Rubio for a disappointing finish in a state that seemed tailor-made for the U.S. senator from Texas.
With all precincts reporting, Rubio led Cruz by just two-tenths of a percentage point, 22.5 percent to 22.3 percent.
Billionaire Donald Trump was already projected the winner by the time Cruz took the stage at his Election Night party and declared himself "effectively tied" with Rubio, his Senate colleague from Florida.
Cruz, whose sway with social conservatives was expected to propel him to an at least second-place finish, nonetheless argued that he had defied expectations against Rubio, who had the backing of some of the state's top Republicans.
Cruz, the winner of the Iowa caucuses, also made the case that he continues to be the most viable alternative to Trump, who notched his second straight win.