REPUBLICAN voters swung behind Senator Bob Dole in eight key primary elections yesterday, giving the 72 year old Senate majority leader a huge boost in his quest for the Republican nomination for president in 1996.
Mr Dole won Georgia, the biggest of the eight states, in a tight race with his closest rival, Mr Patrick Buchanan, but coasted home is several other states, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine and Vermont.
The big prize of "junior Tuesday" was Georgia, a winner takes all state with 42 delegates.
Mr Dole's win there brings closer the goal of 996 delegates needed to win the nomination.
With almost all votes counted, Mr Dole was leading by 38 per cent to 36 per cent for Mr Buchanan.
After early setbacks in a lacklustre campaign, Mr Dole now seems to have found the rhythm, confidence and momentum to lock up the nomination on "super Tuesday" next week. The campaign moves tomorrow to New York, where the Republican party apparatus has all but ensured a Dole victory.
Only the publisher, Mr Steve Forbes, opposes him on the ballot paper in all congressional districts, with Mr Buchanan on two thirds.
Mr Buchanan yesterday launched a strong attack on Senator Al D'Amato, Mr Dole's New York campaign manager, whom he called a refugee from the Congress ethics committee, and "ethically challenged," a reference to charges in the past of unethical behaviour.
The fiery commentator, speaking to reporters in Buffalo, New York, before all the polls closed, seemed resigned to a night of defeats, but said he was determined to stay in the race.
He appeared deflated by the results which confirmed that his ultra conservative, anti abortion choice, protectionist campaign could not attract more than about a third of the voters in any state.
He said, "If Senator Dole does well, clearly he's going to have tremendous momentum.".
The Indiana senator, Mr Dick Lugar, is expected to drop out of the race today.
The former Tennessee governor, Mr Alexander Lamar, said he would quit next Tuesday if he did not win Florida, but may also drop out earlier after failing to win a single primary.
"We're going to have a big, big day in New York on Thursday,".
Mr Dole told a rally in Albany late on Monday "You know, New York could do it. It could demoralise every other candidate in this race. They wouldn't even be able to write cheques any more, they would be so nervous and shaky about the election."
Mr Forbes, who has been campaigning on a flat tax programme using his own funds, said he would stay in the race until the Republican convention in San Diego in August. He is hoping to pull off a surprise win in New York and revive his campaign.
In yesterday's primaries, 208 delegates were at stake, the largest in any single day so far. In New York there will be 93.
Mr Dole received an important endorsement from his one time rival in the battle to reshape the Republican Party, the House Speaker, Mr Newt Gingrich. The Speaker, who once criticised Mr Dole as "the tax collector for the welfare state", said "Bob Dole is a close personal friend and great leader. Together we passed the balanced budget, tax cuts and welfare reform, which when he is president will all be signed into law."
Mr Buchanan's remarks now reflect missed chances "If we'd have won Arizona, click, click, click. Everything would have fallen into place," said Mr Buchanan, who spent the last two days courting blue collar votes by attacking big corporations for laying off workers.