John McCain has edged out Mike Huckabee to win the South Carolina Republican U.S. presidential primary, U.S. networks are reporting.
McCain (pictured) is leading Huckabee by 33 percent to 30 percent with 98 percent of precincts reporting.
Fred Thompson is third with 16 percent, while Mitt Romney placed fourth with 15 percent.
Ron Paul received four percent and Rudy Giuliani placed last with two percent.
The Democrats hold their North Carolina U.S. presidential primary next Saturday, January 26.
The South Carolina primary, the first to be held in a southern state, traditionally tests a candidate's viability in the South.
Having won both New Hampshire and South Carolina, McCain becomes the Republican front-runner going into to Super Tuesday.
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