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| Version 8 | Version 9 |
|---|---|
| Primary test for Obama momentum | Primary test for Obama momentum |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Turnout is reported to be high as US voters take part in three primary polls which could see Democrat Barack Obama keep his momentum over Hillary Clinton. | Turnout is reported to be high as US voters take part in three primary polls which could see Democrat Barack Obama keep his momentum over Hillary Clinton. |
| Senator Obama is aiming to win the Democratic presidential nomination contests in Maryland, Virginia and DC. | Senator Obama is aiming to win the Democratic presidential nomination contests in Maryland, Virginia and DC. |
| Senator Clinton is looking ahead to primaries in Ohio and Texas on 4 March in the hope of reversing her fortunes. | Senator Clinton is looking ahead to primaries in Ohio and Texas on 4 March in the hope of reversing her fortunes. |
| In the Republican race, John McCain is seeking to bolster his position as front-runner after two weekend defeats. | In the Republican race, John McCain is seeking to bolster his position as front-runner after two weekend defeats. |
| Opinion polls suggest Mr McCain has the edge over Mike Huckabee, who won in Kansas and Louisiana on Saturday, when Mr McCain took Washington state. | Opinion polls suggest Mr McCain has the edge over Mike Huckabee, who won in Kansas and Louisiana on Saturday, when Mr McCain took Washington state. |
| I may be skinny, but I'm tough, too - I'm looking forward to mixing it up with John McCain Barack Obama class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7240084.stm">Primary may prove pivotal class="" href="/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/7240873.stm">Elections come to Culpeper But correspondents say the Arizona senator 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 so far 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 so far said he has no intention of pulling out. |
| He has focused his efforts on Virginia, where the winner for the Republicans will take all 63 delegates. | He has focused his efforts on Virginia, where the winner for the Republicans will take all 63 delegates. |
| Asked in a radio interview if he stood a chance of winning there, he said: "It depends on if our voters truly are willing to come out and show that there ought to be a real race." | Asked in a radio interview if he stood a chance of winning there, he said: "It depends on if our voters truly are willing to come out and show that there ought to be a real race." |
| Campaigning | Campaigning |
| Polls opened in Virginia at 0600 local time (1100 GMT) and in Maryland and the District of Columbia an hour later. | Polls opened in Virginia at 0600 local time (1100 GMT) and in Maryland and the District of Columbia an hour later. |
| Baltimore voters give their views ahead of primary elections in MarylandIn pictures | Baltimore voters give their views ahead of primary elections in MarylandIn pictures |
| Early turnout in Virginia was reported to be high, and officials in Washington DC and Maryland were also projecting a strong turnout, particularly in the Democratic race, following a spike in the number of new voter registrations. | Early turnout in Virginia was reported to be high, and officials in Washington DC and Maryland were also projecting a strong turnout, particularly in the Democratic race, following a spike in the number of new voter registrations. |
| Each Democratic candidate is about halfway to winning the 2,025 delegates needed to secure victory at the party's national convention in August. | Each Democratic candidate is about halfway to winning the 2,025 delegates needed to secure victory at the party's national convention in August. |
| Virginia has 83 delegates up for grabs, while Maryland offers 70 and Washington DC has 15. | Virginia has 83 delegates up for grabs, while Maryland offers 70 and Washington DC has 15. |
| Both candidates campaigned hard in the region on Monday. | Both candidates campaigned hard in the region on Monday. |
| Mr Obama addressed a mass rally of students at Maryland university, while his rival spoke at smaller, more targeted events around the region. | Mr Obama addressed a mass rally of students at Maryland university, while his rival spoke at smaller, more targeted events around the region. |
Democrats
Republicans
| Democrats
Republicans
|
| Mrs Clinton told General Motors staff in Baltimore County, Maryland, that her experience would be key in the battle for the presidency with Senator McCain. | Mrs Clinton told General Motors staff in Baltimore County, Maryland, that her experience would be key in the battle for the presidency with Senator McCain. |
| "A lot of these fights are fights you have to have," she said, according to the Washington Post. "You can't walk away from them." | "A lot of these fights are fights you have to have," she said, according to the Washington Post. "You can't walk away from them." |
| But Mr Obama said he, too, was ready for the fight. "I may be skinny, but I'm tough, too. I'm looking forward to mixing it up with John McCain," the newspaper quoted him as saying. | |
| Polls gave Mr Obama a lead going into the so-called Potomac Primary, named after the river that runs through the two states and the nation's capital. | Polls gave Mr Obama a lead going into the so-called Potomac Primary, named after the river that runs through the two states and the nation's capital. |
| Early exit polls from the Associated Press indicated that the economy was the top issue for both Democratic and Republican voters. | |
| Those polls also suggested that the most important candidate attribute for a majority of Democratic voters in Maryland and Virginia was the ability to "bring needed change". | |
| Almost four in 10 voters in Maryland are African-American, according to the early exit polls, and about three in 10 in Virginia. Women make up well over half of the Democratic vote. | |
| A high turnout of black voters could help Mr Obama, who has gained substantial support from the African-American community in other primaries. | |
| Long battle ahead | Long battle ahead |
| The Potomac Primary follows Mr Obama's weekend victories in Washington state, Louisiana, Nebraska, Maine and the US Virgin Islands. | |
| 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 commentsCastro in spat with McCain Mrs Clinton appointed a new campaign manager, Maggie Williams, after those setbacks. | |
| She was given a potential boost on Tuesday with the endorsement of former astronaut and former Ohio Senator John Glenn. | She was given a potential boost on Tuesday with the endorsement of former astronaut and former Ohio Senator John Glenn. |
| She and Mr Obama face a long, drawn-out battle after neither was able to deliver a knockout blow in the 22 state contests of Super Tuesday on 5 February. | She and Mr Obama face a long, drawn-out battle after neither was able to deliver a knockout blow in the 22 state contests of Super Tuesday on 5 February. |