Read the Associated Press exit poll story

Black voters made up about half the Louisiana electorate and Barack Obama was the choice of 86 percent of them, a margin that is in synch, though somewhat higher, than he is now enjoying in polls in Maryland and Virginia. Hillary Clinton won among white voters by 58 percent to 30 percent. However, three-quarters of the voters said race wasn’t the factor in their decisions. Obama won in all income categories and voters under 65.

On the Republican side, there was a huge ideological divide, something that frequently has shown up in polls of individual primary states, but less so in some national polls like Gallup. Republicans in Louisiana who called themselves very conservative – 44 percent of the turnout – supported winner Mike Huckabee by 54 percent to 30 percent. The two split voters who said they were somewhat conservative. Huckabee beat McCain, although by smaller margins, among voters who said they chose a candidate who “says what he believes” and those who said their choice was based on who most shared their values.

Margins of error were 4 points for the Democrats and 6 points for the Republicans.