(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-01-30 10:08

MIAMI - John McCain edged ahead of Mitt Romney in the Florida primary Tuesday night, a battle for the biggest delegate prize to date as well as precious campaign momentum heading into next week's competition across more than 20 states.

Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee trailed, each struggling to remain relevant in a campaign about to explode into a coast-to-coast chase for delegates on Feb. 5.

The Florida winner stood to gain all 57 national convention delegates at stake. More than 1,000 will be awarded next week in primaries and caucuses.

Returns from 32 percent of the state's precincts showed McCain with 34 percent of the vote and Romney with 33.

Republican US presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain (C), R-AZ, greets supporters at a polling station at Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, Florida. [Agencies]

McCain, the Arizona senator, was hoping for a breakout win in a state that allowed only Republicans to vote. His previous victories, in New Hampshire and South Carolina this year, and in two states in 2000, came in elections open to independents.

Romney's only primary win so far was in Michigan, a state where he grew up and claimed a home-field advantage.

A survey of voters as they left their polling places showed the economy was the top issue for nearly half the Republican electorate. Terrorism, the war in Iraq and immigration followed in importance. In a state that is a magnet for retirees, more than one-third of the voters were 65 or older.

McCain was benefiting from the support of self-described moderates, as well as Hispanics and older voters.

Romney was favored by voters opposed to abortion and opposed to easing the path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

The poll was conducted by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International for The Associated Press and the television networks.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won the Democratic race, an event that drew no campaigning by any of the contenders — and awarded no delegates to the winner.

The Democratic primary was controversial by its very existence, an act of defiance against national party officials who wanted it held later in the year.

Even so, Clinton sought to emphasize her performance in the state, holding a rally as the polls were closing.

She challenged Barack Obama to agree to seat the delegates on the basis of the night's vote, but he demurred, saying he would abide by an agreement all Democratic candidates had made months ago.

"Those decisions will be made after the nomination, not before," Obama told reporters Tuesday on a plane from Washington to Kansas. "Obviously, I care a lot about the people in Michigan and a lot about the people in Florida. And I want their votes in the general election. We'll be actively campaigning for them."

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