Kerry wins Virginia and Tennessee primaries

US presidential hopeful John Kerry vanquished his Southern-bred rivals in Virginia and Tennessee today, marching steadily toward the Democratic nomination with a sweep in the South that extended his dominance to every region of the country.

The Massachusetts senator was pocketing about half the vote in Virginia, with Senator John Edwards of North Carolina a poor second and former NATO commander Wesley Clark of Arkansas a far-distant third. Kerry easily beat Edwards and Clark in Tennessee.

With two poor finishes, Clark’s fate seems sealed. He considered dropping out last week after eking out a singular victory in Oklahoma, and aides said similar discussions are under way today.