Sen. Barack Obama racked up a convincing win in the North Carolina Democratic primary Tuesday, denying Hillary Rodham Clinton the “game changing” outcome she claimed was coming.
Networks declared Obama the winner seconds after North Carolina polls closed at 7:30 p.m.
Exit polls showed the win by Obama will be “substantial” and could restore to Obama the momentum he needs to capture the Democratic Presidential nomination.
In Indiana, Clinton leads Obama but the race was still to early to call at 7:30 p.m.
Reports The Associated Press:
Barack Obama swept to victory in the North Carolina primary on Tuesday but fell behind Hillary Rodham Clinton in Indiana, the last big-delegate prizes left in their long race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Obama’s win mirrored earlier triumphs in Southern states with large black populations, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and South Carolina among them.
The Associated Press made its North Carolina call based on surveys of voters as they left the polls.
That made Indiana, a virtual must-win Midwestern state for the former first lady, who was hoping to counter Obama’s persistent delegate advantage with a strong run through the late primaries.
Returns from 16 percent of the Indiana precincts showed Clinton with 57 percent of the vote to 43 percent for Obama.
The economy was the top issue by far in both states, according to interviews with voters as they left their polling places.
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