Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton won a key primary contest in Ohio, Tuesday, against rival Barack Obama, ensuring the battle for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination will continue. Clinton and Obama were also locked in a tight primary race in Texas. In the Republican race, Senator John McCain won all four primary contests on Tuesday and clinched his party's nomination. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington.

Beyond winning the popular vote in Tuesday’s US primaries, the key to securing a party’s nomination is a candidate’s ability to win enough support from party delegates to gain the nomination. On the Republican side, John McCain did just that on Tuesday with victories in Ohio, Texas, Vermont, and Rhode Island to exceed the 1,191 Republican delegate votes needed to capture his party’s endorsement.

Polls are open in all four of the U.S. states holding primary elections today Tuesday as U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama battle for support for the Democratic Party nomination.

Record turnouts are expected in the U.S. presidential race as primary voters go to the polls in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont. The latest public opinion polls show Democratic Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama locked in very close contests in the delegate-rich states of Texas and Ohio. On the Republican side, Senator John McCain could secure his party's nomination with victories Tuesday over former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. VOA Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from Washington.

Amid a weakening U.S. economy, America's foreign-trade policy has become a contentious issue in the presidential race. Both major Democratic Party candidates say free-trade pacts have harmed American workers, while the presumed Republican nominee - as well as President Bush - are defending trade as necessary and economically beneficial. From Washington, VOA's Michael Bowman reports.

A U.S. lawmaker and civil rights leader who previously supported Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has announced he will now support her rival, Senator Barack Obama.

With one week to go before crucial primaries in the large, delegate rich states of Texas and Ohio, the two remaining Democratic presidential candidates, Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, met in a televised debate Tuesday. The debate was held in Cleveland, Ohio and broadcast by the MSNBC cable channel. VOA's Greg Flakus has more on the story from San Antonio, Texas.

Democratic Party presidential candidates, Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are scheduled to hold another televised debate Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio, after two days of increasingly harsh rhetoric on the campaign trail.

In the U.S. presidential election campaign, Hillary Clinton is stepping up her criticism of rival Democrat Barack Obama one week before critical primary votes in Texas and Ohio. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more.

With the March 4 primary approaching in Texas, presidential candidates from both U.S. political parties are seeking votes from the state's large Hispanic population. More than a third of the people in Texas are Hispanic, with African-Americans accounting for around 11 percent and whites, sometimes called Anglos, now at a little less than half. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston, the impact of Hispanics on the Democratic party primary will depend on voter turnout and organization.

Democratic Party presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in a debate Thursday in Texas. VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston there was more agreement on issues than clashes over differences.

Democratic presidential contenders Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are headed for a showdown March 4 in primaries in Texas and Ohio. Those primaries could go a long way toward deciding who will be the Democratic Party's nominee for president. But as VOA National correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington, some Democrats believe that so-called superdelegates could eventually play a major role in deciding who wins the party's nomination.