McCain wins Missouri, but Dems close

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Republican John McCain claimed a rich delegate reward by wining a close Republican primary over Mike Huckabee on Tuesday while Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama appeared likely to split Missouri's delegates.

McCain led Huckabee by barely 1 percentage point with nearly all of Missouri's precincts reporting results, but he stands to gain all 58 delegates because of the state's winner-take-all approach.

The Associated Press declared McCain the winner based on a review of actual vote results, exit polling and an analysis of outstanding precincts. The AP earlier declared Clinton the winner in the Democratic primary, but the AP reversed that call Tuesday night as late-arriving vote totals from the St. Louis area showed Obama slightly ahead.

Election officials in St. Louis County said they had to re-count the votes in 15 precincts, because the ballots were not turned in properly.