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Obama wins primaries clean sweep | Obama wins primaries clean sweep |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Illinois Senator Barack Obama looks set to overtake his rival, Senator Hillary Clinton, in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. | |
In the latest round of primaries, Mr Obama has clinched Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. | |
But neither has secured enough party delegates to secure the nomination to contest November's presidential poll. | |
For the Republicans, Senator John McCain is on course to win all three races, beating rival Mike Huckabee. | |
With eight consecutive primary wins behind him, Mr Obama is beginning to look formidable and the manner of his victory on Tuesday looks ominous for Mrs Clinton, says the BBC's North America editor, Justin Webb. | |
Halfway there | |
"Tonight we're on our way," Mr Obama told supporters in Wisconsin, which will hold the next primary on 19 February. | |
Republicans | Mrs Clinton, who has recently lost a number of key staff, indicated she would be focusing on the races in Ohio and Texas in March as her best hope to retake the lead. |
LATEST RESULTS Democrats DC: Obama 75.2%; Clinton 24%Maryland: Obama 60.2%; Clinton 36.4%Virginia: Obama 63.6%; Clinton 35.5% Republicans DC: McCain 67.7%; Huckabee 16.6%Maryland: McCain 54.7%; Huckabee 29.8%Virginia: McCain 50%; Huckabee 40.8% Source: AP based on partial results | |
"We're going to sweep across Texas in the next three weeks," she said, making no mention of the three contests she lost. | |
"I'm tested, I'm ready, let's make it happen," she told supporters. | "I'm tested, I'm ready, let's make it happen," she told supporters. |
Each Democratic candidate is about halfway to winning the 2,025 delegates needed to secure victory at the party's national convention in August. | |
With most of the Tuesday's votes counted, Mr Obama has edged into the lead with 1,223 delegates to Mrs Clinton's 1,198 delegates, according to the Associated Press news agency. | |
Mrs Clinton's deputy campaign manager, Mike Henry, reportedly stepped down on Monday, in a shake-up coming only a day after her campaign manager left. | |
Meanwhile Mr McCain, who holds a strong lead over his Republican rival Mike Huckabee, told supporters he was "fired up and ready to go". | |
Significant lead | |
With results counted in almost all of Virginia's precincts, Mr McCain led by 50% to Mr Huckabee's 41%. | With results counted in almost all of Virginia's precincts, Mr McCain led by 50% to Mr Huckabee's 41%. |
In the District of Columbia, Mr McCain took 68% of the Republican vote to 17% for Mr Huckabee, with almost all the votes counted. Congressman Ron Paul took 8%. | |
We are approaching the end of the first half of this election on quite an upswing John McCain In pictures: Potomac primaryPrimary may prove pivotalElections come to Culpeper | |
Mr McCain's victories mean he extends his significant lead in terms of the number of delegates who will vote for him at the party's national convention. | Mr McCain's victories mean he extends his significant lead in terms of the number of delegates who will vote for him at the party's national convention. |
But correspondents say Mr McCain still has some work to do to unite his party, amid continuing criticisms from leading party members who have questioned his conservative credentials. | But correspondents say Mr McCain still has some work to do to unite his party, amid continuing criticisms from leading party members who have questioned his conservative credentials. |
Mr Huckabee has been under pressure to stand aside for the sake of party unity, but has said he has no intention of pulling out. | Mr Huckabee has been under pressure to stand aside for the sake of party unity, but has said he has no intention of pulling out. |
Exit polls suggest he won the support of very conservative voters in Virginia by nearly three to one, while Mr McCain was backed by somewhat conservative and moderate Republicans. | Exit polls suggest he won the support of very conservative voters in Virginia by nearly three to one, while Mr McCain was backed by somewhat conservative and moderate Republicans. |
Broad appeal | |
In Virginia, Mr Obama was leading by 64% to Mrs Clinton's 35.5%, with almost all precincts reporting. | |
His margin of victory was even greater in Washington DC, where he led by 75% to 24% with almost all the votes counted. | His margin of victory was even greater in Washington DC, where he led by 75% to 24% with almost all the votes counted. |
NEXT CONTESTS 19 Feb: Wisconsin (bi-party), Hawaii caucuses (R)2 March: Hawaii caucus (D)4 March: Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont (bi-party) Send us your commentsElection at a glance | NEXT CONTESTS 19 Feb: Wisconsin (bi-party), Hawaii caucuses (R)2 March: Hawaii caucus (D)4 March: Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont (bi-party) Send us your commentsElection at a glance |
Analysts suggested the most significant aspect of Mr Obama's success was his broadening appeal across different demographic groups. | |
Exit polls conducted for AP in Virginia suggested Mr Obama had won the support of two-thirds of men and almost six in 10 women. | |
Mr Obama also made gains with women voters, who have been a core constituency for Mrs Clinton in past contests, and with white men and Latino voters. | |
And nine in 10 black voters in Virginia backed the Illinois senator, an even bigger margin than in previous primaries. | |
The economy was the top issue for both Democratic and Republican voters in the so-called Potomac primary, named after the river that runs through the two states and the nation's capital. |