U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton was projected to win the Ohio and Rhode Island primaries on Tuesday, pulling her campaign back from the dead end.
The New York Senator is also maintaining a slight lead over Illinois Senator Barack Obama in Texas by 50 percent to 48 percent as of 49 percent of precincts accounted.
In Ohio, a "must-win" state to Clinton's campaign, she beat Obama by 56 percent to 42 percent, according to the results from 71 percent of precincts, a much wider lead than the pre-primary polls showed.
"For everyone here in Ohio and across America ever been counted out but refused to be knocked out, for everyone who has stumbled but stood right back up, and for everyone who works hard and never gives up," she told a rally in Ohio.
Her popularity in the state was solidified by a large amount of blue-collar workers, Catholic, elderly and white women voters, political analysts said.
According to CNN exit polls, Clinton gained 54 percent of female voters while Obama took a lead in male voters at 52 percent.
Among voters without college degree who account for 63 percent of the total, Clinton was preferred by 55 percent of them. But Obama prevailed in those that received higher education.
Clinton was also considered more trustful in handling with economic affairs with support by 52 percent of voters who worry about their financial situation, a group taking up 78 percent of the total Democratic voters.
Rhode Island, demographically similar to Ohio, was also proved favoring Clinton, who defeated Obama by 58 percent to 40 percent in the state.
Texas shows a different picture with a balance between Latinos and African American voters, a key factor to explain the neck-and-neck Democratic presidential race in the state.
The populous states of Ohio and Texas will offer a combination of 334 delegates to Democratic candidates proportionally, the big prize enough to make difference in deciding the party's presidential nominee.
By Tuesday, Obama has accumulated 1,378 delegates with 11 straight victories in the primaries and caucuses in the past one month. He won the Vermont primary on Tuesday at 60 percent, compared to Clinton's 38 percent.
Analysts earlier said that if Clinton, who has 109 delegates less than Obama by March 4, loses both Ohio and Texas, her campaign would approach the end.
Either of them needs to gain 2,025 delegates of the total 4,049to secure the party's presidential candidacy.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article