McCain leads Republican delegate count in early results, Clinton ahead for Democrats

US: John McCain won a commanding victory in the Republican delegate race over Mitt Romney on Super Tuesday. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton had a slim edge over Sen. Barack Obama in the contest for Democratic delegates.

McCain won 459 delegates to 155 for Romney and 111 for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in incomplete results. A total of 1,023 delegates were up for grabs in 21 states.

Overall, McCain led with 561 delegates, to 248 for Romney and 154 for Huckabee. It takes 1,191 to win the nomination at this summer's convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. Clinton led with 492 delegates to Obama's 475. A total of 1,681 delegates were at stake in 22 states and American Samoa.

Overall, that gave Clinton 753 delegates, to 677 for Obama, with 2,025 delegates required to claim the nomination in Denver at this summer's convention.

The AP tracks the delegate races by projecting the number of national convention delegates won by candidates in each presidential primary or caucus, based on state and national party rules, and by interviewing unpledged delegates to obtain their preferences.

In some states, like Iowa and Nevada, local precinct caucuses are the first stage in the allocation process. The AP uses preferences expressed in those caucuses to project the number of national convention delegates each candidate will have when they are chosen at county, congressional district or state conventions.

Washington, Wednesday, AP