Related: Huckabee wins Louisiana Republican primary 
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Democratic
presidential candidate Barack Obama was projected to beat Hillary Rodham Clinton
in the Nebraska and Washington caucuses and Louisiana's primary on Saturday as
the two are in a tied race for the party's presidential nomination.
In the mean time, Republican candidates John McCain
and Mike Huckabee were too close to call in the Louisiana primary after Huckabee
had won Kansas caucuses earlier the day.
Obama, the Illinois senator, completed the triumph in
the first round of the post-Super Tuesday competition with his win of Louisiana
at 53 percent, while New York Senator Hillary Clinton gained 39 percent with 59
percent of precincts reporting.
In Nebraska, Obama led Clinton by 68 to 32 percent,
according to some 99 percent of precincts reporting.
Obama also led the New York senator with a similar
edge in Washington state with 68 percent, when 96 percent of precincts' ballots
counted, 31 percentage points ahead of Clinton's supporting rate.
However, Clinton still led Obama by 1,080 to 962 in
the number of delegates who would vote for the party's presidential candidate at
the national nomination convention in early September.
After the Super Tuesday on Feb. 5 when a total of 24
states and American Samoa held their primaries and caucuses, Obama and Clinton,
the two major Democratic candidates, remained in a neck-and-neck competition.
The contest continued Saturday with the Louisiana
primaries and caucuses in Nebraska, Washington and Guam that would generate 161
delegates to the nomination convention, to be allocated proportionally to
candidates based on their supporting rates.
CNN exit polls in Louisiana showed that Obama
dominated in the African-American votes with 82 percent of the total, but he was
beat by Clinton in the popularity among white voters by 26 percent to 70
percent.
Obama retained his huge influence in the young
educated voters, winning 57 percent of Louisiana college students' votes,
according to the polls.
In the badly-hit state by Hurricane Katrina in 2005,
among the 15 percent of voters who said had been affected by the disaster and
yet to recover, 58 percent of them supported Obama while 39 percent preferred
Clinton. For those who said they had recovered, Obama had less margin over
Clinton of 11 percentage points.
On the Republican side, former Arkansas governor
Huckabee took away all of the 36 delegates Kansas awarded to the caucuses
winner.
As of 59 percent of precincts reporting in Louisiana,
Huckabee led Arizona Senator McCain with 48 percent to 38 percent.
>>>Super
Tuesday winners <<<
U.S. presidential nominee races
resumed after Super Tuesday
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. post-Super
Tuesday presidential nominee races were resumed with five primaries and caucuses
in four states held on Saturday.
After Super Tuesday when a total of 24 states and American
Samoa held their primaries and caucuses, Democratic presidential candidates
Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton are expected to continue with their
neck-and-neck competition. Full story
U.S. Republican presidential candidate
Huckabee wins Kansas caucuses
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Republican
presidential candidate Huckabee won Kansas caucuses on Saturday.
With 88 percent of precincts reporting, the former
Arkansas governor has won 60 percent of the votes, followed by Arizona Senator
John McCain at 24 percent. Texas Congressman Ron Paul stayed at the third place
at 11 percent. Full story
Romney announces end of
race
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Republican
presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced on Thursday that he would suspend
his campaign.
"This is not an easy decision ...I hate to lose,"
Romney told a conservative group in a Washington hotel. "I feel I must now stand
aside for our party and for our country." Full story
