02/06/2008
On the most important day yet in the 2008 presidential elections, a total of 24 states held primaries and caucuses Feb. 5, known as Super Tuesday. Due to the extremely close results, no candidate has yet been named as the solid nominee for either party, but Sen. John McCain clearly emerged as the front runner for the Republican nomination. On the Democratic side, Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both had strong showings, but the race still remains too close to call. The day was marked by incredibly high voter turnout, and exit polls showed voters primarily concerned with issues that are vital to small business, such as the state of the economy, tax relief, and healthcare reform.
Sen. McCain won a total of nine states, including significant victories in both California and New York, and received a substantial portion of delegates as a result of the day's voting. In recent weeks he has mounted a vital comeback and is now the obvious candidate to beat for the GOP nomination. Former Gov. Mike Huckabee won a small number of southern states, largely due to his appeal to evangelical Christian voters. Rounding out the field, former Gov. Mitt Romney won caucuses in five states and only won primaries in two states where he had a substantial base of appeal, Utah and Massachusetts.
The Democratic race remains incredibly tight, as Sens. Clinton and Obama both won large shares of delegates. Clinton has garnered a slight edge with her wins in California and New York, but Obama had robust victories in states such as Georgia, Illinois and Missouri, and won more states overall. The fight for the Democratic nomination will likely go down to the wire.
The campaigns now look to contests in Louisiana (Feb. 9), Washington (Feb. 9), and Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia (Feb. 12).
In this historic election, small business issues continue to gain attention from both parties, so it is extremely important now more than ever to get politically involved and make a difference. Be sure to stay tuned to NFIB.com/politics for all of the latest news, and visit NFIB's 2008 Presidential Election Center, an exclusive, members-only resource that provides a wealth of information on the races.
