January 27, 2008 Obama wins big in South Carolina Play video

(NECN) - Barack Obama has won the South Carolina primary, scoring his first victory since the Iowa Caucuses. Race proved to play a major role, where about half of the voters were black.

Exit polls indicate voters in South Carolina were most concerned with the economy, followed by health care. Only one in five said it was the war in Iraq.

About half of the primary voters were black and 80 percent of them voted for Obama, with no gender gap between black men and women. Among whites, Clinton and Edwards got nearly 40 percent, and Obama recorded 25 percent.

Voters said the most important quality they were looking for in a candidate was change for Obama voters, experience among Clinton voters, and empathy for Edwards.

NECN's RD Sahl and Jim Braude have more analysis.