CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Voters in Kanawha County's 160 precincts were pretty evenly divided in a fairly close race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.

McCain won by 358 votes, getting 40,952 votes to Obama's 40,594 votes, according to precinct totals completed by Kanawha County officials on November 10.

McCain won 50.2 percent of the votes cast for the two major presidential candidates.

But voting tabulations show marked variations in the Obama-McCain race in precincts throughout different parts of the county.

Obama received his biggest margins of support in Charleston's East End and West Side, as well as the upper Kanawha Valley.

McCain did best in northern and western parts of the county, especially the unincorporated areas around Sissonville, Elkview and Cross Lanes.

They split support fairly evenly in the high-income districts in South Hills and in the city of South Charleston.

Eastern Kanawha

Obama won by big margins in almost every precinct in towns east of Charleston, where coal mining has long been the major industry.

Obama also won by handy margins in most precincts in Charleston itself.

McCain, on the other hand, won handily in areas around Sissonville, Elkview and Clendenin, as well as in St. Albans and Cross Lanes.

Obama won 81 percent of the votes in Montgomery and 74.6 percent in Rand, and received between 60 percent to 70 percent of the votes in Cedar Grove, London, Mammoth, Pratt and Chesapeake.

Obama received 59.4 percent of 1,135 votes cast in four precincts up Cabin Creek, as well as majorities in the towns of Glasgow, Diamond, Handley, East Bank, Winifrede and Marmet.

McCain beat Obama in only three areas in the eastern part of the county, getting 60.1 percent of the vote on Campbells Creek, 56.3 percent in Loudendale and 55.9 percent in Belle. 

Charleston

Obama did well on Charleston's East End and the West Side. He also came out ahead in areas like South Hills and Fort Hill.

On the East End, Obama won 76.1 percent of the votes from 2,140 people casting ballots at Piedmont Elementary and the Board of Education building on Elizabeth Street, as well as Carroll Terrace and Terrace Park East on Kanawha Boulevard.

Obama won 52.7 percent of the 1,370 votes cast at Ruffner Elementary, on a hill north of the Capitol.

In 11 precincts on Charleston's West Side, Obama won 65.7 of 5,804 votes cast.

Obama's biggest margin of all came from two precincts at Tiskelwah Community Center, which gave him 83.9 percent of their 853 votes.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Voters in Kanawha County's 160 precincts were pretty evenly divided in a fairly close race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.

McCain won by 358 votes, getting 40,952 votes to Obama's 40,594 votes, according to precinct totals completed by Kanawha County officials on November 10.

McCain won 50.2 percent of the votes cast for the two major presidential candidates.

But voting tabulations show marked variations in the Obama-McCain race in precincts throughout different parts of the county.

Obama received his biggest margins of support in Charleston's East End and West Side, as well as the upper Kanawha Valley.

McCain did best in northern and western parts of the county, especially the unincorporated areas around Sissonville, Elkview and Cross Lanes.

They split support fairly evenly in the high-income districts in South Hills and in the city of South Charleston.

Eastern Kanawha

Obama won by big margins in almost every precinct in towns east of Charleston, where coal mining has long been the major industry.

Obama also won by handy margins in most precincts in Charleston itself.

McCain, on the other hand, won handily in areas around Sissonville, Elkview and Clendenin, as well as in St. Albans and Cross Lanes.

Obama won 81 percent of the votes in Montgomery and 74.6 percent in Rand, and received between 60 percent to 70 percent of the votes in Cedar Grove, London, Mammoth, Pratt and Chesapeake.

Obama received 59.4 percent of 1,135 votes cast in four precincts up Cabin Creek, as well as majorities in the towns of Glasgow, Diamond, Handley, East Bank, Winifrede and Marmet.

McCain beat Obama in only three areas in the eastern part of the county, getting 60.1 percent of the vote on Campbells Creek, 56.3 percent in Loudendale and 55.9 percent in Belle. 

Charleston

Obama did well on Charleston's East End and the West Side. He also came out ahead in areas like South Hills and Fort Hill.

On the East End, Obama won 76.1 percent of the votes from 2,140 people casting ballots at Piedmont Elementary and the Board of Education building on Elizabeth Street, as well as Carroll Terrace and Terrace Park East on Kanawha Boulevard.

Obama won 52.7 percent of the 1,370 votes cast at Ruffner Elementary, on a hill north of the Capitol.

In 11 precincts on Charleston's West Side, Obama won 65.7 of 5,804 votes cast.

Obama's biggest margin of all came from two precincts at Tiskelwah Community Center, which gave him 83.9 percent of their 853 votes.

Voters at two Kanawha City sites also went for Obama.

At Kanawha City Elementary, 1,671 voters gave Obama a 55 percent majority, while at Chamberlain Elementary, 2,348 voters gave him a 53 percent margin.

In South Hills, 5,807 voters cast ballots at nine different precincts, including those based at George Washington High, Overbrook Elementary and Holz Elementary schools.

Obama narrowly won, getting 50.8 percent of 5,807 votes cast in those South Hills precincts.

In three nearby Fort Hill precincts, including two at Weberwood Elementary, 2,033 people gave Obama 53 percent of their votes.

In seven Dunbar precincts, 3,388 voters gave Obama a 54.1 percent majority.

But in South Charleston's 15 precincts, McCain came out ahead, winning 51.2 percent of 8,201 votes cast in the long-time chemical town.

Western and northern Kanawha

The western and northern portions of Kanawha County have traditionally favored Republican candidates.

The 32nd House District, covering a major part of that area, typically elected four Republican delegates, often called "The Four Horsemen." Today, since the district has fewer people, its Republican contingent might be more accurately called "The Three Horsemen."

Some of McCain's strongest margins came in Clendenin, Elkview, Pinch, Quick and Sissonville.

McCain won 65.3 percent of 1,644 votes cast in four precincts in Clendenin, including Herbert Hoover High and Clendenin Elementary School.

He won 62.8 percent of 2,104 votes cast in three precincts in Pinch and Quick.

And McCain won 64.1 percent of 7,910 votes from 13 precincts in the Elkview-Sissonville area.

McCain did well in seven Cross Lanes precincts, winning 57.3 of 5,840 votes from the unincorporated area west of Charleston.

In St. Albans, 54.4 percent of votes went to McCain, from 8,208 people in 15 precincts.

In nearby Nitro, 54.8 percent of 2,434 votes cast were for McCain. Tornado's single precinct gave a 62.3 percent margin over Obama to the Republican senator from Arizona.

Countywide, three independent candidates received another 934 votes: Cynthia McKinney, 175; Ralph Nader, 599; and Chuck Baldwin, 160.

But none of those three independent candidates won 10 votes in any precinct, with the exception of Nader, who got 10 votes at one precinct, located at Elk Elementary Center on Pennsylvania Ave.

Reach Paul J. Nyden at pjny...@wvgazette.com or 348-5164.