Mr John Kerry moved closer to formally clinching the US Democratic presidential nomination today with easy victories in four Southern states.
The Massachusetts senator, looking to challenge President George W. Bush in a region that has not been friendly to Democrats in recent elections, swept to easy wins in Florida, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana.
Mr Kerry effectively locked up the right to face Mr Bush last week when he drove his last major rival from the race and the victories put him on the verge of making it official by capturing a majority of the delegates to July's nominating convention.
"This nation is demanding more than ever before leadership that takes us in a new direction," Mr Kerry told supporters in Chicago, Illinois, which holds the primary next week that could put him over the top. "George Bush will not take us in that direction. I will."
Mr Kerry rolled up more than 75 per cent of the votes in Florida and Mississippi over rivals who have dropped out of the race but remained on the ballots and over two remaining minor challengers, civil rights activist Al Sharpton and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich.
Mr Kerry condemned the president's economic and foreign policies and ridiculed the president's claim to "steady leadership," describing him as a "stubborn" leader.
Earlier in the day Mr Bush, without mentioning Mr Kerry by name, decried "economic isolationists" who would weaken the US economy.