In the Potomac Primary, John McCain and Barack Obama emerged as winners in all three primaries, Virginia, Maryland, DC.

Senator Barack Obama rolled to victory by big margins in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia on Tuesday, extending his winning streak over Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to eight Democratic nominating contests since Saturday.

The outcome provided him his first chance to assert that the Democratic race, which had seemed to be heading into a protracted standoff, is beginning to break in his direction. And it left Mrs. Clinton facing weeks in which she has few opportunities for the kind of victory that would alter the race in her favor after a string of defeats notable not just for their number but also their magnitude.

In Tuesday’s contests, Mr. Obama showed impressive strength among not only the groups that have backed him in earlier contests — African-Americans, younger voters, the affluent and self-described independents — but also among older voters, women and lower-income people, the core of Mrs. Clinton’s support up to now, according to interviews with voters leaving the polls. Mr. Obama also won a majority of white men.

On the Republican side, Senator John McCain won in Virginia over Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas. Mr. Huckabee got a boost from conservative and evangelical Christian voters in the state, but not enough to overcome Mr. McCain’s vote among moderates and non-evangelical Christians. Mr. McCain was the winner as well in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Mr. McCain retained a significant edge in committed Republican delegates, but the close contest in Virginia highlighted the continuing divide in his party over Mr. McCain, whom many Republicans, particularly in the South, consider too moderate and too willing to compromise with Democrats. Mr. Huckabee has beaten him in six Southern and border states, as well as in Iowa and Kansas.

In claiming victory, Mr. McCain congratulated Mr. Huckabee, saying: “I want to commend my friend, Governor Huckabee, whose spirited campaign, many gifts as a communicator and advocate, and passionate supporters are a credit to him and our party. He certainly keeps things interesting, a little too interesting at times tonight, I must confess. But I have even more reason to appreciate just how formidable a campaigner he is.”

Mr. McCain went on to add: “We have come a long way in this campaign, and we have had our ups and downs. But as luck, that product of opportunity and industry, would have it, we are approaching the end of the first half of this election on quite an upswing.”

In all, 168 pledged delegates were at stake for the Democrats and 116 for the Republicans. The Democrats will divide delegates proportionally to the candidates’ vote statewide and at the Congressional level while the Republican races were winner-take-all.

Mr. Obama’s victories gave him a lead over Mrs. Clinton among pledged delegates, according to preliminary counts by the Obama campaign and some news organizations. Obama aides calculate that he also leads in delegate counts that include so-called superdelegates, the party officers and elected officials who control 20 percent of the total delegates to the Democratic convention.

An exultant Mr. Obama told a rally in Madison, Wis.: “This movement wont stop until there’s change in Washington. Tonight, we’re on our way.”

Barack Obama Potomac Primary Victory speech



John McCain Potomac Primary victory speech