Independent Ross Perot has barged in on the presidential primaries, gaining write-in support among both Democrats and Republicans as Bill Clinton and President Bush both won easily in Oregon and Washington.
The size of Perot's write-in vote wasn't clear, but the message was: The third man in the race is likely to be a problem for both major-party candidates.And with eight primaries to go, including the grand finale in California and five other states on June 2, the write-in idea could spread into a new sort of protest vote.
The primaries next Tuesday are in Kentucky and in Clinton's Arkansas home. Idaho holds a Republican primary and a Dem-o-cra-tic preference vote that does not allocate delegates.
In Oregon, with 94 percent of the precincts reporting, Clinton had 50 percent of the vote to 35 percent for Jerry Brown, his only campaigning rival.
In Washington, with nearly all precincts reporting, Clinton had 51 percent to Brown's 29 percent. But that primary was just for show; it did not bind the 71 Washington delegates who are being apportioned in caucuses and conventions.
Clinton was winning 29 delegates in Oregon. That pushed his count to 1,855.5 of the 2,145 he needs for nomination, with nobody close and the majority within reach.
Brown was winning 18 delegates, but he's too far behind to have a chance anymore. His count puts him fourth, behind uncommitted Democrats and those favoring dropout Paul Tsongas, who ran third in the Tuesday primaries.