News Analysis: Both Clinton, Obama Face Tougher Tests As Primary Season Rings Down

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton was projected by U.S. media to win the West Virginia primary by wide margin on Tuesday.

TV channels including CNN, Fox News and MSNBC made projection shortly after the polling stations were closed around 7:30 p.m. (2330 GMT) since their exit polls indicated the New York Senator's big win in the state.

As of 23 percent of precincts' vote accounted, Clinton led Obama by 63 percent to 30 percent.

"I am more determined than ever to carry on with this campaign until everyone has had their chance to make their voices heard," Clinton told a supporter rally in Charleston. "I am in this race because I believe that I am the strongest candidate."

The Mountain state was described by Fox News as the friendliest terrain yet to the New York Senator in her drawn-out struggle with Illinois Barack Obama for the presidential candidacy, for it being a makeup of woman, white, older, working-class and culturally conservative voters, who all favor Clinton, shown from the previous primaries and caucuses.

It also has a dearth of two key supporter groups behind Obama's success, blacks and holders of Bachelor's degree or higher.

According to the exit poll by Fox news, Clinton captured almost every demographic group, doing particularly well among the large group of white, working-class voters in the state.

Among the white voters, she won 69 percent; among women, 71 percent, among seniors aged 65 or older, 65 percent, and voters without college degrees, 70 percent.

The poll also showed that the Iraq war and economy still remain voters' top concerns in the final days of the primary season.

Howard Wolfson, Clinton's campaign commander director, told CNN that the victory in the West Virginia showed again her capability to win the swing states as what she had achieved in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida, which is key to beat the Republican rival in the November general elections.

Since 1960, the state has voted for Democratic party in eight of the 12 general elections, indicating that it is a must-win for a Democratic presidential candidate.

However, political analysts said that the win in West Virginia primary, which has only 28 delegates distributed proportionally based on the share of the vote, would not be big enough to help Clinton cut into Obama's lead in the number of delegates to the national convention.

Obama has gained 1,869 delegates, only 156 short of 2,025 delegates needed to secure the nomination, while Clinton has 1,697 delegates.

Acknowledging Clinton's overwhelming popularity in West Virginia, Obama virtually skipped the state, with only one stop in the state in recent weeks. He also predicted that the former First Lady could take Kentucky on May 20.

Instead of delivering speech in the primary state, he moved forward to Missouri on Tuesday night, reflecting the shift in focus the campaign toward November.

In the mean time, he also counts on Oregon and South Dakota for more delegates.