Obama Sailed Behind Galvanized Voters and Broadened Support

"Clearly, the momentum is starting to matter," said Democratic strategist Steve Jarding, who is not aligned with either campaign.

One explanation for why Obama did better in Virginia than in Maryland is that Virginia voters don't register by party, so all voters could have participated in the Democratic primary. Strategists and party officials said Obama drew self-described independents to the polls.

Virginia appeared to be a nearly perfect state for Obama, the strategists said, with its African Americans, college-educated professionals, young voters, independents and disenchanted Republicans voting in the state's open primary.

Heidi Johannesen, 33, of Fairfax said she voted for Obama even though she has voted for George W. Bush. "I'm just looking for change," she said. "We are in desperate need of something different."

Kaine appealed to the same groups when he was elected. He said Obama's message of governing in a bipartisan way resonated.

"People have gotten so tired of the 'I am right and if you disagree with me you're either corrupt or an idiot' style of politics," Kaine said. "Obama is very strong on that point; he doesn't demonize people."

Obama recorded one of his top showings among white women and scored his first decisive victory among Southern white men. He lost to Clinton among white women by only six percentage points, and he beat the New York senator by 18 points among white men.

Obama beat Clinton for the first time among senior citizens. Swanee Busic, 65, of Reston voted twice for Bush but now sees herself as an independent. "I'm thinking Obama is really someone who's new, who's not so deep in politics," Busic said.

Although Latinos made up only one in 20 Virginia Democratic voters, Obama got 54 percent of those voters, neutralizing one of Clinton's core constituencies.

Obama dominated Clinton in nearly every region of the state, carrying 10 of 11 congressional districts. Black voters turned out in potentially record numbers; in the heavy black 3rd District, which stretches from Richmond to Hampton Roads, about 33 percent of voters showed up for the Democratic primary, and Obama won eight out 10 of those voters. Statewide, he won 90 percent of the black vote, his best showing outside Illinois.

"If you look at past primaries, that is just unheard of," Rep. Robert C. Scott (D-Va.) said of the 3rd District. "He really struck a nerve. It shows he can be competitive across the South, and if we can carry Virginia or another Southern state, the electoral college arithmetic is very problematic for Republicans."

Obama was also lifted by white voters. He won 54 percent of the vote in the 6th District, in the Shenandoah Valley, which is 85 percent white.

According to state exit polls, people 17 to 29 made up 14 percent of the electorate, compared with 8 percent four years ago. The heavy turnout among younger voters proved to be a major boost for Obama. He drew 72 percent of white voters younger than 30 and even higher percentages among black voters younger than 30.

In Charlottesville, home of the University of Virginia, 3,918 people voted in the Democratic primary in 2004. On Tuesday, 7,676 votes were cast, and Obama won 75 percent of them.

"The university communities have burgeoned," said Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the school. "They are major growth localities across the state that are attracting a Democratic electorate."

Polling director Jon Cohen and polling analyst Jennifer Agiesta contributed to this report.