Clinton & McCain Win Super Tuesday Primary Locally, Statewide BUFFALO (wned) - Hillary Rodhmam Clinton survived a strong challenge by Senator Barack Obama to win New York's Democratic primary. On the republican side, Senator John McCain defeated former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in the Super Tuesday Primary.

McCain captured 51% of the statewide vote, earning all of the state's GOP delegates. In Erie County, McCain gained 47%, Romney had 30% and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee had 13%. In Niagara County, McCain earned 47% to Romney's 28% and Huckabee's 16%.

On the Democratic side, Clinton edged Obama 60% to 36% in Erie County and by a more than 2-to-1 margin in Niagara County. Obama will claim a big chunk of New York's 232 delgates. Statewide, Clinton beat Obama 57% to 40%.

Around 60 Hillary Clinton supporters watching Super Tuesday results in the lobby of Buffalo's Ellicott Square Building.

Erie County Democratic Chair Len Lenihan told WNED News he thinks the Clinton-Obama battle will continue, but not, he said, until the party's August convention in Denver.

"I think we're going to go on for a couple of weeks from here. It's not going to go to the convention...I think it's a good thing that this goes on a little bit because we've got seven months to fight it out. I like the idea of giving the other states a chance to be decisive and make a difference in this whole process," said Lenihan.

There was another party going on across town at the Polish Cadets Hall on Grant Street for Barak Obama, who scored a significant number of delegates in his opponent's homestate.

Western New York "Delegates for Obama" Organizer Diana Cihak says the Senator from Illinois has a wide base of support in Erie County.

"There's a real diversity of faces out there when we look at our crowds: there's young, there's old, there's black, there's brown, there's white, they're Asian, there's Latino. It's been really exciting to bring this group together," said Cihak.

Exit polling showed Obama attracted mostly voters younger than 30 and blacks, while Clinton did well among women, Latinos and older voters.

The GOP event last night in the Best Western Hotel on Delaware Avenue was fairly low-key, with people watching a row of TV sets and counting the delegates as the roll call of states continued across the country.

With a key State Senate seat open with the impending retirement of Senator Mary Lou Rath, Erie County Republican Chairman James Domagalski says McCain will help the rest of the ticket. He says the senator has shown himself to be a proven leader in tough times.

"This is a very trying time in our nation and this raises, first and foremost, about who is best to lead the country in a time of war and economic uncertainty, and we believe Senator McCain is that leader," said Domagalski.

McCain organizer Russ Gugino says the senator has strong support across the board, from college students to seniors.

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