BBC NEWS
Obama victory speech
Barack Obama has won a big victory in South Carolina's Democratic primary.
With 98% of the vote counted, Mr Obama led Hillary Clinton by 55% to 27%, with John Edwards trailing in third on 18%.
Mr Obama told cheering crowds: "Tonight the cynics who believed that what began in the snows of Iowa was an illusion were told a different story."
Correspondents say Mr Obama's win gives him a boost before Super Tuesday on 5 February, when 22 states vote for who they want to run for US president.
Republicans have already held their poll in South Carolina, and are now campaigning for their next primary election in Florida on Tuesday.
Psychological boost
Smiling broadly as he greeted supporters at a victory rally in the state capital, Columbia, Mr Obama stressed a message of unity and hope.
We are hungry for change, and we are ready to believe again
Barack Obama
"The choice in this election is not about regions or religions or genders," he said. "It's not about rich versus poor, young versus old and it is not about black versus white.
"This election is about the past versus the future."
Mr Obama referred to his win in the first contest, the Iowa caucuses, saying that the faith Democratic voters had shown in him then had been borne out in the result in South Carolina.
Looking forward to Super Tuesday, he went on: "In nine short days, nearly half the nation will have the chance to join us in saying that we are tired of business as usual in Washington, we are hungry for change, and we are ready to believe again."
Mrs Clinton's campaign issued a statement saying she had called to congratulate Mr Obama and wish him well.
It went on: "We now turn our attention to the millions of Americans who will make their voices heard in Florida and the 22 states as well as American Samoa who will vote on 5 February."
Former President Bill Clinton, who has been campaigning on behalf of his wife, told a rally in Missouri that Mr Obama had "won fair and square".
'Fierce battle'
The BBC's Jamie Coomarasamy in South Carolina says the result gives an important lift to Mr Obama's campaign after consecutive defeats by Mrs Clinton in New Hampshire and Nevada.
It also sets the stage for a fierce battle between the two front-runners on Super Tuesday, he adds.
Mrs Clinton spent part of the week campaigning outside South Carolina, signalling that she was not expecting to win there.
As the results came in, she was already on her way to Tennessee, one of the states voting on 5 February.
Mr Edwards, a native of South Carolina who won there in his failed run for the presidential nomination in 2004, has failed to improve on his second place to Mr Obama in Iowa at the start of January.
Voting in South Carolina was brisk, with some officials predicting a record turn-out. It was the Democrats' first primary in the South of the US, where black voters are likely to play a big role.
'Nasty' battle
All three candidates made last-minute appearances in South Carolina as polling was under way.
Mr Obama greeted potential voters at a Baptist church, a historically black college and a restaurant in Columbia, while Mrs Clinton and daughter Chelsea stopped by a diner.
The idea of the first African-American nominee of a major party also is exhilarating, and so is the prospect of the first woman nominee
New York Times
Mr Edwards talked to voters at a restaurant in Mount Pleasant and called into a polling station.
In the days leading up to the vote, the battle between the two leading candidates showed a touch of real nastiness, the BBC's Kevin Connolly adds.
Mr Obama accused Mrs Clinton of saying anything to get elected, after earlier accusing Bill Clinton of making false statements about him.
For her part, Mrs Clinton accused Mr Obama of never taking responsibility for any vote he cast.
Correspondents say both parties' contests for the presidential nomination are so close that they could continue for weeks after Super Tuesday this year.
Once the candidate for each party has been selected, they will compete head-to-head to win the presidential election in November.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/7210389.stm
Published: 2008/01/27 02:59:23 GMT
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