Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) won emphatic victories in the so-called "Potomac Primaries" yesterday, cementing his momentum going into the next major day of Democratic contests and officially overtaking Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) in the ongoing tally of delegates.
Obama took Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia by decisive margins, giving him wins in eight consecutive primaries or caucuses.
He can no longer claim the distinction of being an underdog. "This movement won't stop until there's change in Washington, D.C., and tonight we're on our way," he said to cheers in Madison, Wisc. "At this moment, the cynics can no longer say that our hope is false."
Yesterday's wins make the next day of delegate-rich elections almost do-or-die for Clinton. The most substantial of the upcoming primaries will take place on March 4 in Ohio and Texas, where Clinton is favored.
In yesterday's Republican primaries, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) swept the Potomac states. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has been trying to mount a comeback campaign, but the front-running McCain reasserted himself in the wake of a series of disappointing finishes in last weekend's contests.
McCain and Obama both won the District of Columbia by the widest margins of the night. McCain took 68 percent to Huckabee's 17, and Obama won 75 percent to Clinton's 24. The races in the two states were relatively closer, but McCain and Obama won those handily as well.
In the Democratic race, Obama has surged past Clinton in delegates, with 1,215 to her 1,190, according to
CNN.com. Clinton has the allegiance of many superdelegates - most of them elected representatives and party officials - and this kept her in the lead until last night.
McCain leads in the Republican race for delegates, holding 812 to Huckabee's 217.
