WASHINGTON (AP) " Sen. Barack Obama won the Virginia Democratic primary Tuesday night and reached out for victories in next-door Maryland and the District of Columbia, determined to erode or even erase Hillary Rodham Clinton's delegate lead in the party's presidential race.
Republican front-runner John McCain survived an unexpectedly difficult challenge of his own in Virginia before triumphing over former Arkansas Gov., Mike Huckabee in a race that triggered a heavy turnout of evangelical Christian voters. McCain picked up all 60 of the GOP delegates at stake, adding to his insurmountable lead.
Obama's triumph in Virginia made it six straight over Clinton, the former first lady, now struggling in a race she once commanded.
Interviews with voters leaving the polls showed Obama split the white vote with Clinton, and his share of the black vote approached 90 percent. She led among white women, but he was preferred by a majority of white men.
Icy roads in Maryland prompted a judge to order a 90-minute extension in voting hours, delaying returns and the allocation of delegates there.
In all, there were 168 delegates at stake in primaries in those states and the District of Columbia.
Overall, Clinton had 1,151 delegates to 1,131 for Obama. Both are far from the 2,025 needed to win the nomination at the Democratic National Convention this summer.
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