(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-04-22 21:48

PHILADELPHIA - A six-week, increasingly hard-edged contest between Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama culminated Tuesday as Pennsylvania voters registered their choice - a decision that could save or sink Clinton's flagging candidacy.

US Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) addresses supporters at a campaign rally on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania April 21, 2008. [Agencies]

The candidates questioned each other's character and readiness to be commander in chief in last-minute television ads and barnstormed the state in a final pitch for votes in the most populous and delegate-rich state remaining in the nominating contest. Some 4 million Democrats were eligible to cast ballots, with 158 delegates at stake.

Clinton was relying on a decisive win to reinvigorate her candidacy, while Obama hoped for an upset or a strong enough finish to secure the delegates needed to maintain his overall lead.

Late polling showed Clinton with a single-digit lead in the state after besting Obama by 20 points or more in earlier surveys.

As the polls opened at 7 a.m., the candidates engaged in a last round of sparring in pre-taped interviews aired on network and cable television.

"What (Obama) has to demonstrate is to win a big state, a big state that Democrats need to win in order to achieve the presidency," Clinton told CBS' "The Early Show." "The road to Pennsylvania Avenue for a Democrat goes right through Pennsylvania."

Obama, noting Clinton's polling lead, sought to lower expectations.

"I think we've trimmed that back, but our view has always been that we're the underdogs here," Obama said. "I think she has to be heavily favored to win."

Sarah Triplett arrived to vote Tuesday long before her suburban Philadelphia polling place opened and soon had plenty of company.

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