Obama coasts in North Carolina; Clinton claims Indiana (2nd Roundup)

May 7, 2008, 4:04 GMT

Washington - Barack Obama won a strong victory in North Carolina Tuesday but rival Hillary Clinton claimed a narrow, apparent victory in Indiana, as the state-by-state Democratic presidential nominating battle enters its final month.

Obama emerged victorious in the Southern state of North Carolina by 57 per cent to 43 per cent, according to official results with 98 per cent of precincts reporting.

The Illinois senator, who added to his slim lead in delegates to the party's August nominating convention, told supporters in North Carolina that he was close to getting the party's nod for the November general election.

The result in Indiana was still unclear. Clinton was leading in the Midwestern state by 51 per cent to 49 per cent over Obama with 91 per cent of precincts reporting. Only CBS News had called the state for the former first lady.

Despite the close margin, Clinton claimed victory at a rally in Indianapolis, Indiana.

'Not too long ago my opponent made a prediction,' she said of Obama. 'He said I would win Pennsylvania (which voted April 22), he would win North Carolina, and Indiana would be the tiebreaker.'

'Well, tonight we've come from behind. We've broken the tie, and thanks to you it's full speed on to the White House,' Clinton said.

Obama had earlier congratulated Clinton for 'what appears to be her victory in the state of Indiana.'

A split decision by voters had been expected from the two largest states left in the Democratic nomination battle. Only six contests now remain, concluding on June 3.

Clinton, 60, vowed to fight until the last primary and made a plea to supporters for campaign donations in order to keep up with the spending of her rival.

Obama, 46, insisted that the Democratic Party would reunite behind the eventual nominee, despite a gruelling campaign that had left 'bruised feelings' on both sides and given presumptive Republican nominee John McCain a head start.

'Many of the pundits have suggested that this party is unalterably divided. I am here tonight to tell you that I don't believe it,' said Obama in North Carolina's capital Raleigh. 'We will be united in November.'

McCain wrapped up his party's nomination in March.

Amid the drawn out intra-party race, Democratic leaders have voiced hopes to have their own clear nominee by late June.

In the quest for the 2,025 delegates needed to capture the Democratic nomination, Obama led by 1,743 to 1,606 for Clinton before Tuesday's result, according to a count by website realclearpolitics.com. North Carolina had 115 and Indiana 72 delegates up for grabs.

With only 200 delegates left in the six electoral contests remaining after Tuesday, both campaigns have turned to persuading nearly 300 undecided super-delegates - Democratic elected officials and party leaders - who could still potentially swing the nomination in either candidate's favour.

Obama told supporters that his complete victory was close.

'Tonight we stand less than 200 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination for president of the United States,' he said.

Both sides had played down expectations of landing a knock-out blow in Tuesday's primaries, though Obama's apparent double-digit win in North Carolina was wider than most pre-election surveys had predicted.

'There are those who were saying that North Carolina would be a game-changer in this election. But today what North Carolina decided is that the only game that needs changing is the one in Washington,' Obama said.

African-Americans, who made up more than 30 per cent of Democratic voters in North Carolina, chose Obama by more than 90 per cent, according to exit polls reported by broadcaster CNN. White voters picked Clinton by a margin of 59 per cent to 36 per cent.

Clinton had been favoured to win narrowly in Indiana, which has a large population of working-class white voters that lean towards the New York senator.

Obama's likely votes were concentrated in urban centres with large African-American communities and in northern Indiana, which borders his home state of Illinois.

The high cost of petrol and a wider economic slowdown in the United States had dominated much of the discussion as Obama and Clinton crisscrossed the states in the final days.

Clinton has lobbied for a three-month federal petrol-tax holiday over the summer, a move Obama has called a political 'gimmick' that would save average voters little money.

Exit polls from CNN showed that Clinton beat Obama by 53-46 per cent among Indiana voters who said they were affected by a recession in the US economy.