Ted Cruz speaks at a conference in Texas

Washington- Senator Ted Cruz scored decisive wins in the Kansas and Maine caucuses on Saturday, demonstrating his enduring appeal among conservatives as he tried to control Donald J. Trump’s significant lead in the Republican presidential race.

Cruz secured 48.2 percent support with all ballots counted. Cruz gave a victory speech from his campaign headquarters in Idaho. Donald Trump followed with 23.8 percent; Marco Rubio trailed with 16.7 percent and John Kasich followed at 10.7 percent.

Mr. Trump contained Cruz’s advances by winning in Louisiana and Kentucky. But the Texas senator’s wins were sure to energize the anti-Trump forces who have been desperately trying to stop Trump’s march to the nomination, and they left little doubt that Cruz, who has now captured six states, is their best hope.

Mr. Trump had sought to win Kansas, canceling an appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday to appear before Republicans in Wichita, Kansas’ largest city, just before the caucuses began on Saturday morning.

A notably restrained Trump, addressing supporters and reporters in West Palm Beach, called on Rubio to withdraw from the race.

“I want Ted one-on-one, O.K.”, Trump said.

On the other hand, boasting of his “breadth of support,” Cruz suggested that it was time for Rubio and Kasich to consider dropping out of the race.

“We’ll continue to amass delegates, but what needs to happen is the field needs to continue to narrow,” he said. “As long as the field remains divided, it gives Donald an advantage.”

There has been considerably less drama in the Democratic race since Clinton bounced back from her loss in New Hampshire with victories in Nevada, South Carolina and across the South on Super Tuesday.

In the Democratic race, Hillary Clinton lost Kansas and Nebraska to a resurgent Sanders campaign, although her own win in Louisiana, as expected, left her well ahead in net delegates at the end of the night.

While Clinton is now heavily favored to be the Democratic nominee, the party’s primary calendar still features a series of contests that seem ripe for Bernie Sanders.

Though not as significant as the dozen Super Tuesday contests this week or the large states voting on 15 March, the five states voting on Saturday suggested the race to secure party nominations was far from settled.

After Saturday’s voting, Clinton had 1,104 delegates top 446 for Sanders. The winning total is 2,383.

In the Republican race, Trump has 378 delegates, Cruz 295 and Rubio 123.