McCain battles to control GOP race; Obama, Clinton swap wins

Published 6:35 pm Tuesday, February 5, 2008

WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain swept a series of delegate-rich primaries along the East Coast Tuesday night, reaching for command of the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama swapped victories in a grueling Democratic race.

McCain, whose campaign nearly unraveled six months ago, won in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware to gain all 198 delegates at stake. He also put Illinois in his column.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won in Alabama and in his home state. He also triumphed at the Republican West Virginia convention.

Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, won a home state victory.

Clinton, seeking to become the first female president, won at home in New York as well as in Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Arkansas, where she was first lady for more than a decade.

Obama, hoping to become the first black president, won in Georgia, Alabama and Delaware as well as his home state of Illinois.