Clinton, Obama both claim Democratic victories

Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama dueled to a Super Tuesday draw, capturing states big and small and padding their delegate counts in a Democratic contest that remains highly competitive after the biggest day of balloting in presidential primary history.

Obama won 12 of 22 states -- but not California, the day's most coveted prize. Clinton's victory here was powered by overwhelming support from Latinos, who made up nearly 30% of California voters.

Clinton won Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, but Obama won Santa Barbara County and ran stronger in Northern California population centers, winning Alameda, Marin, San Francisco and Sacramento counties.

Clinton won big in the Northeast: her home state of New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. She also carried Arizona, Oklahoma, Tennessee, American Samoa and Arkansas, where she was first lady when her husband was governor.

Obama ran strongly in the Midwest, capturing his home state of Illinois and Minnesota, North Dakota and Kansas. He also won Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Georgia and Utah.

Missouri eventually joined the Obama camp, and New Mexico was still too close to call this morning.

Under rules that award nominating delegates on a proportional basis, both candidates boosted their totals enough to claim victory, and the race seemed no more settled than it had been 24 hours earlier. The Democrats now move on to contests Saturday in Louisiana, Nebraska and Washington state, Sunday in Maine, and Tuesday in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Beyond that, both sides foresee a protracted battle extending into March and perhaps much longer.

Speaking in soft, even tones -- possibly to spare her strained vocal cords -- Clinton acknowledged Tuesday night that the results were far from decisive. "I want to congratulate Sen. Obama for his victory tonight, and I look forward to continuing our campaign and our debates about how to leave this country better off for the next generation," Clinton told an ebullient crowd packed into a ballroom in Midtown Manhattan.

Obama returned the favor in an election-night appearance in Chicago, congratulating Clinton on her performance and praising her for "running an outstanding campaign."

But, he went on, "we have to choose between change and more of the same. We have to choose between looking backward and looking forward. We have to choose between our future and our past."