BALLWIN, Mo. (AP) — Donald Trump earned 37 of Missouri's 52 delegates to the Republican National Convention when he won the March 15 primary, but as the state party began selecting delegates on Saturday, the New York businessman can't count on that level of support unless he clinches a first-ballot nomination.
Trump narrowly defeated Sen. Ted Cruz in the primary and carried five of the eight congressional districts in the process. State GOP rules provide that 25 of the 52 delegates will be selected at a state convention in three weeks. Three Republican National Committee members are automatic delegates.
The other 24 delegates were chosen Saturday during congressional district conventions -- three in each district. Trump theoretically earned 15 congressional district delegates, but state Republican leaders say just six of those selected are Trump supporters. Nine delegates selected in districts Trump carried are not supporters of the New York billionaire.
Missouri rules require that Trump delegates support him on the first ballot at the national convention July 18-21 in Cleveland. After that, they're free to make their own decision.
The process angered Susan Schenberg of Chesterfield, a Trump supporter who was unsuccessful in her bid to be a delegate from the 2nd District in suburban St. Louis. Trump carried the district in the March primary.
"The delegates are supposed to represent the people and that didn't happen," Schenberg said. "This is why you have so much anger and frustration. People vote in the primary and they don't realize all this secret garbage that goes on. The system is broken and clearly needs to be fixed."
Missouri Republican Party Chairman John Hancock disagreed.
"It's not rigged," he said, calling the selection process a "two-pronged activity."
"It is the ultimate popular vote and grassroots combination in politics, and the best campaigns perform well in both areas," Hancock said.
It's all a moot point if Trump can clinch the nomination ahead of the convention. He has dominated recent primaries, increasing the prospect he could capture the 1,237 delegates needed for a first-ballot win.
"I think the will of the people is represented in that Trump gets 37 delegates on the first ballot and Cruz gets 15," said Carl Bearden, a Cruz supporter chosen as a delegate in the 2nd District.
If the nomination goes to a second ballot, Bearden said voting for Cruz "would be my inclination but between now and July a lot can change."
Hancock said the three-person slates chosen in Missouri's 1st and 8th districts are made up of Trump supporters. Slates in the other six districts either support Cruz or are party activists who have not expressed support for Trump. In the primary, Trump won in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 8th districts, while Cruz won in the 4th, 5th and 7th.
Gary Wiegert, a Trump organizer in the 1st District which includes St. Louis and part of St. Louis County, called the process "an insider system."
"I think you're disrespecting the will of the voter," Wiegert said.
The same scenario has played out elsewhere. Despite winning more states than his rivals, Trump's campaign team has been outplayed by Cruz's in the intricate game of ensuring that supportive delegates make it to the convention.
"The system is all rigged," Trump told supporters at a rally April 22 in Delaware.
Many in the Republican establishment have fought hard to stop Trump, worried his nomination will help elect another Democrat to the White House, and perhaps even help Democrats win back control of the Senate. Detractors point to Trump's disparaging comments about women and minorities that have contributed to high unfavorable ratings.
Missouri Democrats on Thursday selected 47 delegates for the party's convention in Philadelphia on July 25-28. Another 37 will be chosen at the Democratic state convention June 18. Hillary Clinton narrowly defeated Bernie Sanders in Missouri's Democratic primary. After a string of recent primary wins she is now 90 percent of the way to the delegate number needed to claim nomination.