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Key states on 'Super Tuesday'
05/02/2008 08:24 - (SA)
Washington - Herewith portrait of key states on 24 state "Super Tuesday" - the biggest one-day White House nominating contest in US political history.
New York
Hillary Clinton's home state, which she has represented as a Senator since 2001. A defeat here would be a severe embarrassment, but she looks safe, leading most opinion polls by around 20 points in the chase for New York's 232 Democratic pledged delegates.
Under the complex Democratic Party system of proportional representation however, Barack Obama is hoping to steal delegates with a strong showing in New York City, which has the large numbers of African American voters and highly educated white collar workers, groups in which he polls strongly.
Republican pace-setter John McCain was boosted in New York by the endorsement of former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who pulled out of the race after a disastrous showing in last-stand state Florida last week. New York has 101 pledged Republican delegates up for grabs.
Illinois
Obama's home state, where the Clinton campaign says it has little intention of competing, and latest opinion polls show him with at least a 25 point lead. Clinton may peel away a few delegates in rural conservative areas.
For the Republicans, Illinois is one of the states where former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney must do well to slow the McCain surge.
California
The biggest prize on "Super Tuesday" with 370 pledged Democratic delegates, California has been "Clinton Country" since ex-president Bill Clinton established kinship with the laid-back western state during his White House years.
The former first lady leads a RealClearPolitics average of polls in California by 11 points, helped by her strong support among the state's exploding population of Hispanic voters, and higher than average female population.
Obama again hopes to pick up significant numbers of delegates. He sent talk show queen Oprah Winfrey into the state for a final campaign swing, and has been aggressively courting Hispanic voters.
Among Republicans, John McCain has the endorsement of Republican state Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who he hopes will help him capture the 170 Republican delegates available in this winner-take-all state.
Massachusetts
Ninety-three pledged Democratic delegates are up for grabs in the liberal north-eastern state, where most polls give Clinton a double digit lead. But the endorsement of Obama by two state Senators, Democratic lion Edward Kennedy and Democratic 2004 nominee John Kerry, have added extra spice to this contest.
Romney once governed the state, so should be a lock for its 40 primary Republican delegates.
New Jersey
Another prize, with 107 pledged delegates up for grabs. Clinton has around a 10 point lead in most recent polls in a state which is in her extended backyard as a New York senator. She has courted Hispanic voters, though Obama will hope to do well among inner city African Americans.
McCain has a solid lead over Romney here, and should be further boosted by Giuliani's endorsement as he chases 52 Republican delegates.
Georgia
One of the southern states with large numbers of African Americans that Obama is counting upon to help him slow the Clinton machine. Eighty-seven pledged delegates are on offer on the Democratic side, to be divided up on a proportional basis. Obama has a solid lead over Clinton in most polls.
Among Republicans, former Baptist minister and Iowa caucus winner Mike Huckabee leads the pack, popular with southern white, social conservatives.
Seventy-two Republican delegates are available on a winner-takes-all basis.
Missouri
This state offers the Democratic rivals 72 pledged delegates. Clinton had just a four point lead in the most recent poll, and Obama has been boosted by the backing of Senator Claire MaCaskill who won election in the state in 2006.
Among Republicans, Missouri has 58 delegates and is a battleground, with McCain leading Romney in the latest polls by a few points.
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