Clinton Wins South Dakota, But Victory Comes Too Late

Hillary Clinton has won the South Dakota primary, CNN reports, but the victory is a hollow one: It follows news that Barack Obama clinched the Democratic nomination. With 99% of returns in, Clinton led 55% to 44%. Exit polls showed that 60% of Clinton supporters would vote for Obama in the fall, while 34% would either vote for McCain or sit it out. Results from Montana come later tonight to mark the official end of the primary season.

In other exit polls from South Dakota, voters aged 18-29 backed Obama 65% to 35%, while voters 65 and older supported Clinton by the same percentage. Also, 55% of voters say the long campaign has "energized" the party, while 39% say it has hurt. (More Barack Obama stories.)