Polls close in Florida primaries

Hillary Clinton will win the popular vote in Florida’s Democratic primary election, but the state has been stripped of its delegates at the party’s national convention for breaking the rules.

It is these delegates who cast their official votes for the party’s nominee this summer so, at the moment, the state will have no official impact on the race to the White House.

But the result could provide her with some momentum ahead of Super Tuesday, when more than 20 states go to the polls, next week.

The former First Lady, her main rival Barack Obama and regular third-place finisher John Edwards signed a pledge not to campaign in the state after it broke the party rules by moving its primary election to earlier than February 5 in a bid to have more influence on the race.

It is expected that the Democratic party’s eventual nominee will try to reverse the decision not to seat Florida’s delegation at the national convention because of the state’s crucial role in the general election.

But in the Republican contest, where more than 50 delegates are at stake, the race was very close between John McCain and Mitt Romney as the first results came in.

Exit polls showed the economy was the key issue for the state’s voters.

Earlier today, it emerged former Massachusetts governor Mr Romney’s campaign team published a top 10 list of alleged profanities by his main rival Mr McCain.

The list was designed to highlight the former Vietnam prisoner of war’s temper, an issue that he has been criticised for in the past.

The top 10 list claims: “Defending his Amnesty Bill, Senator McCain lost his temper and screamed, ’F*** you!’ at Texas Senator John Cornyn.”

Another point on the list was: “Senator McCain repeatedly called Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) an ’a******’, causing a fellow GOP senator to say, ’I didn’t want this guy anywhere near a trigger’.”

Meanwhile, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani’s campaign looked in tatters as he battled with former Baptist preacher Mike Huckabee for third place.

His late start and campaign tactics seem to have been fatal to his presidential bid.

Mr Giuliani has also said that the winner of Florida will be the Republican nominee in the summer.