Obama back on track with win in Wyoming

CASPER, Wyo. - Sen. Barack Obama captured the Wyoming Democratic caucuses yesterday, seizing a bit of momentum in the close, hard-fought race with rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for the party's presidential nomination.

Obama had 61 percent, or 5,378 votes, to Clinton's 38 percent, or 3,312 votes, with all 23 Wyoming counties reporting.

Obama won seven delegates and Clinton won five. In the overall race for the nomination, Obama led, 1,578 to 1,468, according to the latest tally by the Associated Press. It will take 2,025 delegates to win the Democratic nomination.

Obama generally has outperformed Clinton in caucuses, which reward organization and voter passion more than do primaries. The Illinois senator has now won 13 caucuses to Clinton's three.

Obama has also shown strength in the Mountain West, winning Idaho, Utah, Colorado and now Wyoming. The two split Nevada, with Clinton winning the popular vote and Obama more delegates.

Clinton, buoyed by big wins in Ohio and Texas last Tuesday, said she faced an uphill fight in Wyoming. The New York senator's campaign also holds out little hope for Tuesday's primary in Mississippi, which has a large black population.

Obama's campaign credited the candidate's message for the win.

"Especially in the intermountain West, people are hungry for something different, people are hungry for someone who's a uniter, who can bring together a coalition of change," said Gabe Cohen, Obama's state director in Wyoming.

Clinton's campaign took heart in its ability to pick up some delegates.

"We knew that Wyoming was an uphill climb and that Sen. Obama was expected to win," said Ben Kobren, a spokesman for Clinton's campaign in Wyoming. "We're glad we were able to bring out our grassroots support and come very close in delegates."

Both candidates were looking ahead to the bigger prize - delegate-rich Pennsylvania on April 22.

From the first caucuses of the day, it became clear that Wyoming's Democrats were showing up in large numbers. In 2004, a mere 675 people statewide took part in the caucuses.

About 59,000 registered Democrats are eligible to participate in Wyoming's caucuses.

In Cheyenne, scores of late arrivers were turned away when party officials stopped allowing people to get in line at 11 a.m. EST. A party worker stood at the end of the line with a sign reading, "End of the line. Caucus rules require the voter registration process to be closed at this time."

State party spokesman Bill Luckett said officials were obligated to follow its rules as well as those of the Democratic National Committee regarding caucus procedures.

Although a win in Wyoming may not persuade many superdelegates, it will be one more prize for the candidates as they make their case for the nomination.

Here are the vote percentages won in yesterday's Democratic caucuses.

Candidate % of Vote

Barack Obama 61

Hillary Clinton 38

100% of returns counted

Six of Wyoming's 18 delegates were designated ahead of time as unpledged.