Agony on the US election trail

Last Modified: 07 May 2008
By: Channel 4 News

Both Democratic presidential candidates won state primaries last night, but a definitive result is not much closer.

Barack Obama won a decisive victory in North Carolina and Hillary Clinton won in Indiana. It's being seen as a particularly good night for Obama.

And although he lost in Indiana, it was only by two per cent - securing just three delegates fewer than his rival.

The contenders are chasing 2025 delegates all together - after the latest primaries, it's estimated Senator Obama is almost 200 ahead. This means Senator Clinton will need to secure more than two thirds of the remaining delegates to win.

Jacket off and sleeves rolled up, Barack Obama has spent the past few days trying to bolster his blue collar credentials.

The challenge facing Hillary Clinton is daunting - not least because her campaign cofferes are running so low. Her fresh appeal to supporters to log onto her website and donate seen by some as an urgent last act of desparation, others as a steely determination not to give up.