McCain Clinches Republican Presidential Nomination; Ohio Democratic Fight Too Close To Call

As expected, Arizona senator John Mccain has clinched the Republican presidential nomination. He has surpassed the magic number of 1,191 delegates, and has 1,207 delegates to Mike Huckabee's 247.

Huckabee has dropped out and- along with President Bush- will support McCain. Texas senator Ron Paul is still in the race, even as he isn't really on the radar screen.

In my home state of Ohio, it's still a fist fight, and pretty damn bloody at that. Thus far, Hillary Clinton- as I write this- is winning so far (35% of the precincts as I write this). 162 delegates are up for grabs. So I'm basically writing this in real time. Likewise, it's a very tight fight in Texas.

Clinton is the projected winner in Rhode Island, Obama wins Vermont.

7:33PM PST/10:33PM EST: With 45% of the precincts, Clinton continues to hold a formidable lead over Obama 56-42 in Ohio (former challenger John Edwards has 2%. Source, WBNS-TV, Columbus). In Texas, with 15% of the precincts reporting, Clinton trails Clinton by two percentage votes. 228 delegates are up for grabs in the Lone Star state. (Sources, CNN, KPRC-TV, Houston).

7:42PM PST/9:42PM CST: In Texas, the fight is tighter now.
Both Clinton and Obama have 49% of the vote.

I'm looking at the state of Ohio, the county where I was born, Franklin- where the state capital of Columbus is also the county seat- Barack Obama is pretty much a winner there. Cuyahoga County, where Cleveland is located, Clinton leads. In Hamilton County, where Cincinnati is located- and a Republican stronghold- Obama leads 60%.

7:55PM PST/10:55PM EST: CNN projects that Hillary Clinton has won the state of Ohio, taking the 57% of the vote. This could bring her back in the lead.

In Texas, it's still close.

Stay with CNN for the latest.

Copyright(C) 2008 by Darren W. Alexander/The DWA Organisation Ink. All Rights Reserved.