COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio's leading Democrats split over Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama before the presidential primary. The state's rank-and-file Democrats followed suit as the expensive and divisive race concluded.

Clinton won Tuesday's Democratic presidential primary in a much-needed victory that slowed Obama's momentum while still leaving him with the edge in delegates nationally. She also won in Rhode Island and Texas, while Obama took Vermont.

U.S. Sen. John McCain clinched the GOP nomination with help from a win in Ohio.

Clinton was leading 54 percent to 44 percent with 99 percent of precincts reporting early Wednesday. Ballots counts remained unavailable from Darke County in western Ohio and one precinct in Lucas County in northeast Ohio.

In an expensive fight that repeatedly brought both candidates to the state, Obama and Clinton debated health care, the war in Iraq and trade, particularly NAFTA and who could do a better job renegotiating the agreement some blame for massive Ohio job losses.

Gov. Ted Strickland endorsed Clinton, while the big city mayors of Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus supported Obama.

In Tuesday's primary results, Clinton won 83 of the state's 88 counties but trailed in large urban centers, including the greater Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati areas, home to the state's largest concentrations of black voters. Nine of every 10 blacks voted for Obama.

Despite Clinton's win at the polls, the two Democrats remained in a tight race for delegates that Obama pledged he would win.

In a confetti-strewn speech in Columbus, Clinton thanked Ohio voters, telling supporters, "As Ohio goes, so goes the nation. Well, this nation is coming back, and so is this campaign."

She said, "The people of Ohio have said it loudly and clearly. We're going on, we're going strong, and we're going all the way."

Clinton stopped Obama from taking away her strongest supporters in Ohio — women — and from prevailing among groups — white men and late-deciders — that she struggled with in the weeks before the primary.

She also maintained her strong connection with older voters and blue-collar workers, according to exit polls for The Associated Press and television networks.

Strickland, who endorsed Clinton last year, said Clinton proved she could win if she had the money.

"When she has been able to compete in these big states she has won," Strickland told The Associated Press.

In Texas, Obama told supporters Tuesday, "we have nearly the same delegate lead as we did this morning, and we are on our way to winning this nomination."

McCain, a four-term Arizona senator, surpassed the requisite 1,191 GOP delegates as voters in Ohio, Vermont, Rhode Island and Texas put him over the threshold, according to a count by the Associated Press. McCain's win in Ohio gave him at least 31 Republican delegates.

Recent Ohio polls have shown McCain in a close contest with either Clinton or Obama in a general election matchup.

McCain did best among older voters, Catholics, wealthy voters and moderates, according to exit polls. He also won overwhelming support from voters who said experience mattered most.

Conservatives dominated the Republican turnout in Ohio, accounting for about seven in 10 voters in the GOP primary.

"Now we begin the most important part of our campaign," McCain said in acknowledging he'd won the nomination.

Both Democratic campaigns poured money into Ohio, with Obama spending more than $7 million for TV ads and Clinton $3 million.

Throughout the campaign, Clinton questioned Obama's foreign policy credentials and criticized him as a speechmaker focusing on feelings, not solutions. Obama portrayed Clinton as a candidate tied down by the past.