McCain wins in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis.---- Arizona Sen. John McCain soundly beat back a spirited effort from long-shot candidate Mike Huckabee to win the Wisconsin Republican primary Tuesday.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama was hoping to build on his momentum from eight straight wins in head-to-head contests against New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Huckabee campaigned hard in the state despite McCain's virtual lock on the party's nomination, hoping voters would ''shock the world'' and hand him a win. It wasn't to be.

The Associated Press made its call based on surveys of voters as they left the polls.

Given that Wisconsin is traditionally a more moderate state, McCain's win wasn't a surprise. Anything less would have fueled talk that he does not have the full support of Republican Party faithful.

Charles Harper, 80, a retired architect and Army veteran, said he voted for McCain but would have preferred the more conservative Mitt Romney, who dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Still, McCain ''has a stronger stance about finishing the Iraq situation, and he understands the world situation better'' than Huckabee, Harper said.

In addition to Wisconsin's primary, Obama's native Hawaii was holding a Democratic caucus on Tuesday. Washington state was holding a relatively meaningless primary in which only half of the Republican delegates and no Democratic ones were being awarded.

Despite bitterly cold temperatures in the single digits across Wisconsin, turnout was predicted to be 35 percent, which would be the highest in 20 years for a presidential primary. Wisconsin's primary is open, meaning voters don't have to designate a party affiliation and they can register on election day.

On the Democratic side, Clinton was looking for a strong showing to stem Obama's momentum. Appearing to be looking ahead to key primaries in Ohio and Texas on March 4, Clinton spent much of last week campaigning there before turning her attention to Wisconsin on Saturday.

Wisconsin's exit poll data was being eyed to see whether Clinton was making inroads with voters that have been going to Obama elsewhere -- men, young people and independents. Obama has been struggling with women voters, the working-class and older people.

Wisconsin's demographics -- with nearly nine out of 10 voters white and older than the national average -- appeared to benefit Clinton.