In Kansas City today, Sarah Murray carried son Evan to the polls in one of two dozen states holding contests. Turnout appeared to be heavier among Democrats than Republicans, exit-polling found. Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

by Mark Silva, with updates through the evening.

With the Democratic candidates for president fighting over convention delegates state by state on Tuesday, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York claimed some big-state victories spanning from California to New York, and Sen. Barack Obama claimed several significant victories in smaller states that will keep him competitive with Clinton.

In the face of Obama’s apparent surge in recent weeks, however, Clinton’s claim to the coastal anchors of the "Super Tuesday" contest – California and New York – will add new impetus to her campaign heading into the primary elections still to come.

Obama, who won the Democratic presidential primary in his home state of Illinois, also has carried Minnesota, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Alabama, Kansas, Utah, Idaho, North Dakota and Alaska, projections and results show. His campaign voiced confidence that the day’s delegate count would serve him well in a continuing contest with Clinton.

Among Republicans, Sen. John McCain was racking up some big delegate prizes in "winner-take-all'' states, as well as other big states -- with a projected win in California. And Mitt Romney was falling prey to Mike Huckabee's support among the party's most conservative voters. McCain, once saddled with the mantle of the underdog, stepped out tonight to say that he's happy to now be considered "front-runner.''

Obama has won the Democratic Party's presidential primary election in his home state of Illinois, where a self-styled "audacious'' campaign for the White House started on a cold day in Springfield a little over a year ago, with the Tribune calling the results at the polls' closing.

“It is good to be home,’’ Obama told supporters in Chicago tonight.

“There is one thing that we do not need on this February night to have the final results to know,’’ Obama said to cheers. “Our time has come…. Our movement is real, and change is coming to America.’’

Clinton has carried her own adopted home state of New York, projections showed at the polls' closings there, in addition to Arkansas, where her husband had served as governor.

Clinton also has carried New Jersey and Massachusetts, where Sen. Ted Kennedy is backing Obama. And Clinton has carried Arizona, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

Both campaigns attempted to portray the day's results in the best light.

“Tonight we are hearing the voices of people across America - of all colors, all faiths and all walks of life,’’ Clinton told supporters gathered in New York tonigh. “After seven years of a president who listens only to the special interests, you’re ready for a president who brings your values, your voice and your dreams to the White House.’’

Clinton cited her wins so far today, including “the great state of New York.’’

“We know what we need is someone ready on Day One,’’ said Clinton, who has campaigned on her experience in Washington. “When the bright lights are off and the cameras are gone, who can you count on to stand up for you?

"I look forward to continuing this campaign, and our debate,'' said Clinton, congratulating Obama on his own victories today.

* * *

In the delegate battle, the Obama campaign voiced confidence that its victories had gone a long way toward bolstering his campaign against Clinton.

"We currently believe that we are ahead in the delegates that have been allocated tonight,’’ said David Plouffe, Obama’s campaign manger.

For instance, New York holds more delegates than Illinois, but the Obama campaign believed it would net 15 more delegates than Clinton in the two states because he had run stronger in Illinois than she had in New York.

In Minnesota, Obama was “winning about two-to-one," he said. “We are racking up some pretty impressive margins.

“Winning Massachusetts, winning New Jersey was never part of any nomination scenario for us,’’ Plouffe said. “We are going to reach our delegate goal in New Jersey. We are going to reach our delegate goal in Massachusetts….We like where we stand right now...We could not feel better."

* * *

Among Republicans, McCain has carried New York -- a "winner-take-all'' primary with 101 convention delegates as the prize, the second biggest GOP cache of the day. McCain also has carried his home state of Arizona.

“We’ve won a number of important victories in the closest thing we’ve ever had to a national primary,’’ McCain told his supporters tonight. “Although I’ve never minded the role of the underdog and relished as much as anyone come-from-behind wins, I think tonight we must acknowledge that we are the Republican front-runner for the nomination for president of the United States… and I don’t really mind it one bit.’

On the Republican side, the former Republican governor of Arkansas, Huckabee, has won his party's primary -- as well as the GOP's primary in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee, according to the Associated Press' projections. The Georgia vote was an upset for McCain, who campaigned for a military-minded vote there, and for Romney, who has cast himself as the true conservative in the Republican race.

"You know… a lot of people have been trying to say this is a two-man race,'' Huckabee told cheering supporters tonight. "It is, and we’re in it.

"Tonight, we're proving we're still on our feet, and much to the amazement... of everybody.... we're getting there,'' Huckabee said.

Romney told his supporters: "It's not done tonight… we’re going to go all the way to the convention.''

The former Massachusetts governor has carried his own home state, but McCain has carried the Republican contest in Illinois. McCain also has carried the GOP's primaries in New Jersey, Missouri, Connecticut and Delaware, all four winner-take-all delegate fights on a day when McCain hopes to swamp Romney in a delegate battle. He also has won Oklahoma.

Romney, a Mormon, has carried Utah. And North Dakota. And Minnesota.

Obama already had been projected the winner of Georgia's Democratic presidential primary today by the Associated Press, based on exit polling in that major Southern contest, one of nearly two dozen contests playing out among voters in both parties today.

With Huckabee claiming the first victory of "Super Tuesday" at West Virginia's party convention earlier today, the Romney campaign was crying foul on party front-runner McCain's campaign for party-brokering a defeat for Romney there. Huckabee slammed Romney for "whining."

* * *

Democrat Clinton's strategists, conceding that today's results will not be conclusive, are calling for more debates with Obama.

Join us here, at the Swamp, into the evening as election returns roll in -- and where exit polls are telling us what is on the American voters' minds today. See more below.

And in case you're wondering how campaigns handle all of this, see the Clinton camp's "talking points'' below.

* * *

"I still believe in miracles,'' said Republican underdog Huckabee, offering his own talking points in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

Huckabee's victory in "winner-take-all'' West Virginia netted him 18 delegates for the Republican National Convention. But it was a narrow win for Huckabee, who beat Romney on the second ballot with 51.5 percent of the 1,133 delegates attending the state GOP’s first-ever presidential nominating convention. Romney was backed by 47.4 percent.

Romney had entered the event with the largest pledged bloc of convention delegates and attracted the largest vote — 41 percent — on the first ballot. Huckabee won 33 percent in the first tally, McCain 15 percent and Texas Rep. Ron Paul 10 percent. But then, because no one claimed a majority, Paul, in last place, was eliminated for the second vote.

And a defection by McCain’s delegates to Huckabee allowed him to prevail over Romney -- playing out a formula that has plagued Romney in other contests as well: Conservative voters dividing their loyalties among Romney and Huckabee, to the ultimate benefit of McCain.

Romney campaign manager Beth Myers had this to say about West Virginia: "Unfortunately, this is what Sen. McCain's inside Washington ways look like: He cut a backroom deal with the tax-and-spend candidate he thought could best stop Gov. Romney's campaign of conservative change.

"Gov. Romney had enough respect for the Republican voters of West Virginia to make an appeal to them about the future of the party based on issues,'' Myers said. "This is why he led on today's first ballot. Sadly, Sen. McCain cut a Washington backroom deal in a way that once again underscores his legacy of working against Republicans who are interested in championing conservative policies and rebuilding the party."

McCain, in San Diego, said it was "insulting to Gov. Huckabee'' that Romney would suggest a backroom deal over West Virginia. He called Huckabee "a decent and honorable person." Asked about camp Romney's allegation, McCain said: "In all due respect, I know what it's like to win and I know what it's like to lose.'' He suggested Romney accept the loss.

And this is what Huckabee had to say about that, on CNN: "Well, yesterday, (Romney) was chiding me. He said not to whine. Today, he's changed his position on whining, and today he's for whining. So once again, Mitt has been able to take both sides of all issues, including whining.''

* * *

With none of the Democratic contests today offering any candidate a "winner-take-all'' scenario, Howard Dean, the party chairman and a candidate for president in 2004, was asked how concerned he is about his party remaining divided between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton coming out of today's voting.

“I’m not worried yet. We have two great candidates left in this race,’’ Dean told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. "I think we have to let the voters choose before there are any machinations about deal-making…

“You don’t want to have a divided convention,’’ Dean added, citing divided conventions in the past that resulted in losing elections for the party. “I think the voters will choose a nominee,'' he said. "Then we’ll resolve some of these other difficulties.’’

* * *

Mark Penn, chief strategist for the Clinton campaign, and Howard Wolfson, communications director for the campaign, held court in a conference call today conceding that no one will emerge as his party's favorite today.

And David Plouffe, Obama campaign manager, contiuned to try to temper expectations this evening, as he briefed reporters in advance of the first poll closings for Super Tuesday.

"We believed all along, unless we really did win the first four states in an impressive fashion, that Feb. 5 was a daunting day for us," he said. "Our path to the nomination never required us to win more delegates than her on this day, or more states. I doubt either of those things will happen today, but we do think the delegate total will be closer than maybe we thought a week ago."

* * *

To better understand the comments coming from the Clinton campaign on early results tonight, including the initial loss to Obama in Georgia, see the "Talking Points'' which camp Clinton circulated on the Internet tonight:

The points on Super Tuesday, as of the first returns showing a win for Obama in Georgia:

"We’re excited by what we’re seeing.

"We have 21 states that are still outstanding where we expect to pick up a significant number of new delegates.

"To be sure, both campaigns have a long night ahead of them – but we feel very good about the numbers that we’re seeing.

"It’s very important that people in the states where the polls are still open get out and vote.

On the Georgia loss:

"Unlike the Obama campaign, the Clinton campaign never dedicated significant resources to Georgia.

"Sen. Obama spent over $500,000s on ads on television and radio; we never went up on TV

"The Obama campaign has nine offices in Georgia. The Clinton campaign only has two.

"Sen. Obama has had staff and significant campaign operation across the state for 8 months. Sen. Clinton only deployed staff to the state in the last couple of weeks.

"Polls have consistently showed Sen. Obama with wide lead over Sen Clinton. That lead has only widened over time.''

* * *

A little later, with Oklahoma called and Tennessee about to be called for Clinton, more "talking points'' flow by email:

"We’re very excited by our strong victories in Oklahoma and Tennessee.

"These are the first two states where both candidates competed fiercely.

"For months, the Obama campaign has been spinning that they have a monopoly on red states; tonight we showed that they don’t.

"With these first two victories, Hillary Clinton has demonstrated that she can compete and win in red states.''

(Uh, there are some Republicans there who will be voting in those "red states'' in November -- Swamp "talking point.")

* * *

How did they fare among Georgia's voters?

Exit polling found that 88 percent of Georgia's African-American voters went with Obama. But Obama also carried 39 percent of the white vote, Clinton 57, that exit polling found.

* * *

In those actual talks with the handlers today:

Clinton's Wolfson said: ""The nominating battle between Senators Clinton and Obama is going to continue well past today.'' He said it will surely go through March "and likely beyond in to Pennsylvania and maybe into the convention."

"Despite the outcome today, which we think will be largely inconclusive, we do expect to be maintaining our overall lead in delegates,'' he said.

So how will victory be defined today?

"Whoever wins New York should be declared the winner,'' he joked.

"If Sen. Obama doesn't win Massachusetts I think that would have to be a pretty significant disappointment,'' he said, citing Obama's TV ads, rallies and major endorsements -- including Kennedys -- ignoring the fact that Clinton had led there until recently.

Between Now and March 4, there are several contests, he noted.

"I think that a lot of voters are up for grabs,'' Penn said, "so I think it's a little early to say what the next states will look like between now and Texas and Ohio...I think the period from today until we get to the bigger states clearly favor Obama more so than us."

Both said they believe the two candidates should debate more, so they have agreed to four: A debate Sunday to be broadcast on This week with George Stephanopoulos on ABC News, a Feb. 27 CNN debate, a Feb. 28 MSNBC debate, and a FOX News debate to be held in Washington just before the D.C. and Virginia primaries.

"I think certainly as we move to the next exciting phase of the nominating calendar, voters should have the opportunities to see these candidates in a one on one setting,'' Wolfson said.

Penn said: "I think up down or sideways we have been willing participants in debates and I think it's up to senator Obama's camp to decide if they will be."

Obama's Plouffe said: "We are going to wake up tomorrow morning and we've got three meaningful contest three days from now, and we've got a major contest on Feb. 12th, so there's a lot of room to cover.''

Asked how long he expects the Democratic nomination battle with Clinton will continue, Plouffe said he has no idea. "I don't think anyone can tell you with any certainty," he said. "I've always believed that one of us will get the upper hand, even if more a political upper hand….But we are both preparing for a long, drawn-out affair here.

"If it goes through June,'' he added, "it goes through June."

* * *

The exit polls are telling this about today's voting:

About one in 10 voters in each party said they decided whom to vote for today. Slightly more said they decided in the last three days. About half of Democratic primary voters and a third of Republicans said they made up their minds more than a month ago.

Voters in both parties most frequently picked the economy as the most important issue facing the country. Given three choices, half of Democratic primary voters picked the economy, three in 10 said the war in Iraq and two in 10 said health care. Republican primary voters had four choices for that question and four in 10 picked the economy; two in 10 picked immigration and the war in Iraq and somewhat fewer said terrorism.

Republicans had a far rosier view of the condition of the national economy, although few called it excellent; more than four in 10 said it was good. Among Democratic primary voters, fewer than one in 10 called the economy excellent or good; half called it not so good and four in 10 labeled it poor.

Democratic primary voters also were asked about their family’s financial situation and a little more than half said they were holding steady. Among the rest, somewhat more said they were falling behind than getting ahead.

In the Democratic races, nearly half of Clinton’s voters said it was most important that their candidate has the right experience, while three in four of Obama’s supporters said their top quality was that the candidate “can bring about needed change.”

On the Republican side, half of Romney’s voters and seven in 10 of Huckabee’s prized a candidate who “shares my values.” McCain voters split among several qualities — a third said experience was most important while a quarter each said it was that he shares their values or “says what he believes.”

Turnout today appeared to be considerably higher in Democratic than in Republican primaries.

The Democratic electorate was a bit younger than Republican primary-goers. More than one in 10 Democratic voters were under age 30 and one in five were over age 65. Among GOP primary voters fewer than one in 10 were under 30 and a quarter were over 65.

As usual, men outnumbered women in Republican primaries while the reverse was true on the Democratic side.

These are the early results of polling by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International for The Associated Press and television networks.

* * *
If the Clinton camp had its talking points tonight, camp Obama was ready to roll with polling results from a few weeks back that showed Clinton leading in places where Obama has won today.

ALABAMA

Less Than Two Weeks Before February 5th, Clinton Led Alabama By 15 Points. According to polling done by Rasmussen released on January 25, Clinton led Obama by 15 points, 43% to 28%. [Rasmussen, 1/25/08]

CONNECTICUT

Hartford Courant: Two Weeks Before February 5th, Clinton Led Connecticut By 14 Points. According to polling done for the Hartford Courant released on January 20, Clinton led Obama by 14 points, 41% to 27%. [Hartford Courant, 1/20/08]

DELAWARE

October 2007 Poll Found Clinton Leading Obama By 24 Points. According to polling done by Farleigh Dickinson that was released on October 10, Clinton led Obama by 24 points, 41% to 17%. [Fairleigh Dickinson, 10/10/07]

GEORGIA

In December 2007, Clinton Led Georgia By 7 Points. According to polling done by Strategic Vision released on December 12, Clinton led Obama by 7 points, 34% to 27%. [Strategic Vision, 1/22/07]

MINNESOTA

October Poll Found Clinton Leading Obama By 25 Points In Minnesota. According to polling done by Mason Dixon released on October 2, Clinton led Obama 47%-33%. [Star Tribune, 10/2/07]

The Tribune's John D. McCormick, Jason George, Jim Tankersley, Jill Zuckman and the Associated Press contributed to this report.