super tuesday 2008 - jigsaw falling into place?

McCain is Front-Runner; Dems' Race Not Settled

(CNN) -- Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain will win California, Super Tuesday's biggest prize, CNN projects.

McCain padded his lead in the Republican presidential race, capped by taking California's 170 delegates.

While most Republican contests are winner-take-all, most Democratic contests are awarded proportionally based on the number of congressional districts won.

Clinton took the larger share of California's 370 Democratic delegates.

After having been nearly written off last summer, McCain finally felt comfortable enough to call himself the front-runner.

"Tonight I think we must get used to the idea that we are the Republican Party front-runner for the nomination of president of the United States. And I don't really mind it one bit," he said as results came in Tuesday.

McCain also won Connecticut, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Delaware and Arizona, his home state, according to CNN projections.

McCain has gathered 475 delegates so far in his presidential campaign, including tonight's projections. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has 151 delegates, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has 105.

In Georgia, Huckabee edged out McCain, who held a slim margin over Romney.

Romney got wins Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana and Utah.

In addition to Georgia, Huckabee picked up Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee and West Virginia.

In all, 1,020 Republican delegates are up for grabs Tuesday. To clinch the nomination, a candidate must win 1,191 delegates.

On the Democratic side, Barack Obama was winning more states, but Clinton was winning the states with higher delegate counts.

Clinton was also projected to win her home state of New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, and the larger share of the 329 delegates at stake in those states.

Clinton also won Arizona, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Tennessee, and the larger share of the 235 delegates in those states.

The biggest prizes that Obama won were his home state of Illinois and Georgia, and a larger share of the 288 delegates in those states.

Obama also won Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota and Utah. Between those states, he would be awarded the larger share of 278 delegates.

Republican conservative voters appear to be evenly split between Romney and Huckabee, according to preliminary exit polls of Super Tuesday voters.

Of those who voted for Huckabee or Romney, about 80 percent identified themselves as conservative, according to the polls.

Only 49 percent of McCain's voters said they were conservative, a sign that the Arizona senator's efforts over the last week to placate conservative voters has not paid off.

On the Democratic side, those who made up their mind in the last three days appear to be torn between Obama and Clinton. According to the exit polls, Obama and Clinton are essentially splitting those voters, with 47 percent going for Obama and 46 percent for Clinton.



Road to the White House
CNN total delegate estimate as of 2.06 AM, 6 February 2008

2,025 delegates needed to win

Clinton -- 657
Obama -- 541