[GOTFIVEONIT]

lol i gotta call from barak obama tonight - a voice recording that is, saying to vote for him on super tuesday. i think its really stupid for his campaign to run something like that in this state, since its his home state and he is going to win it hands down.

BREAKING NEWS: McCain claims all 57 delegates in Florida GOP primary, NBC projects

NBC News: McCain projected winner in Florida GOP race

NEW: McCain wins Florida's Republican primary CNN projects

NEW: Clinton claims victory in Florida's Democratic race

Voters across the state are casting ballots in presidential primary

No Democratic party delegates are at stake

(CNN) -- Sen. John McCain will win the Florida Republican primary, CNN projects based on election results and exit polling, edging out rival Mitt Romney.

John McCain stops at a St. Petersburg polling station with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist Tuesday.

With 55 percent of Republican precincts reporting, McCain held a 36-32 percent lead over Romney. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani trailed with 15 percent of the vote, followed closely by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee who held 13 percent.

Sen. Hillary Clinton will win the largely uncontested Democratic primary, CNN projected.

With about 54 percent of Democratic precincts reporting, Clinton had 51 percent of the vote. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama was in second with 31 percent, and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards was in third with 15 percent.

The Democratic vote may have little impact on the presidential race, however, because the party's national leadership said it would not allow Florida's delegates to participate in the national convention because of a squabble over scheduling.

Republicans penalized the state as well, but took away only half of their 114 delegates.

"I am thrilled to have had this vote of confidence that you have given me today," Clinton told supporters. "I promise you I will do everything I can to make sure not only are Florida's Democratic delegates seated, but Florida is in the winning column for the Democrats in 2008."

Clinton has called on the Democratic Party to formally lift sanctions on the state.

Robert Gibbs, communications director for Obama campaign, downplayed the Florida results and got a dig in at Clinton.

"Mike Gravel is going to get the same number of delegates as Clinton," Gibbs said, referring to the former Alaska senator who has yet to earn a single percentage point in earlier contests.

Gibbs said he thought the results would have little effect on the race heading into Super Tuesday.

"You can't gain momentum in a state that everyone but Hillary Clinton pledged not to campaign in," Gibbs said.

Turnout was high for the Democratic race even though no delegates were at stake. Florida Sen. Bill Nelson said about 2.5 million voters cast ballots, and nearly 400,000 people cast early or absentee ballots ahead of the primary.

The economy is overwhelmingly the top issue for voters in Florida's primary, according to early exit polls.

Among Republicans and Democrats, the economy dwarfed other issues affecting their vote. Forty-seven percent of Republicans said the economy is the most pressing issue, as did 55 percent of Democrats.

McCain and Romney appear to be neck-and-neck in the Republican primary. If McCain wins in Florida, his status as the national front-runner will be cemented.

If Romney comes out on top, the battle for the GOP presidential nomination will be up in the air.

The primary calendar is playing in Florida's favor. Other than Republican caucuses in Maine this weekend, Florida is the last contest before the coast-to-coast primaries and caucuses on February 5, known as Super Tuesday.

"Romney and McCain are competing in Florida's crucial Republican primary as very different candidates, on very different core GOP issues. Romney, on the economy, as the multimillionaire businessman who says he knows how to fix it and says Sen. McCain doesn't get it," said CNN political correspondent Dana Bash.

"McCain is playing the war hero, digging away at Romney's lack of national security experience. McCain calls security and the war on terror the transcendent issue," she added.

McCain, Romney and the three other candidates engaged in a civil debate in Florida on Thursday night. But since Friday, the McCain and Romney camps, and the candidates themselves, have fired away at each other over the war in Iraq, the economy, illegal immigration and border security, campaign finance reform and the environment. Watch scenes from the 2008 battle for the White House »

And the negative attacks are not just occurring at campaign events and being reported by the media.

"It's also raging in paid advertising on TV and radio. Romney has spent $30 million on TV ads in Florida this year," said Bash. That's five times as much as the McCain campaign, which is now using less expensive radio commercials to directly question Romney's credibility on the economy.

But McCain and Romney aren't the only candidates with a lot on the line in Florida. Giuliani has lived in the state over the past month, bypassing the earlier contests to concentrate all his firepower there.

It was a gamble for Giuliani to count on Florida, and he's now an underdog, said CNN political reporter Mary Snow. "Giuliani's been hitting two main themes: national security and his days as mayor of New York during 9/11, and economic security touting his plans for tax cuts," she added.

The two other candidates in the Republican field don't have as much on the line. Huckabee has campaigned in Florida, but he's also spent time stumping in some of the Southern states that will vote on Super Tuesday.

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas is also concentrating on the February 5 states.

Florida is a closed primary, which means that only registered party members may vote in their own party's primary. McCain won primary contests in New Hampshire and South Carolina, thanks in part to the backing of independent voters who cast ballots in the Republican contests. McCain won't have that luxury in Florida.

"A McCain victory in Florida will be particularly significant because only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican primary. It will be a way for McCain to prove his bona fides with the base," said CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider. "If Mitt Romney wins Florida, it will be a clear signal that the base is not happy with McCain. The Arizona senator could be facing a conservative revolt."

Nearly 1 million Florida voters cast their ballots through early voting and absentees -- a sign the state will probably experience a record turnout even though party sanctions have rendered the Democratic contest meaningless.

According to the Florida secretary of state's office, more than 474,000 Republicans and just over 400,000 Democrats have already voted. Early voting began January 14 and ended Sunday.

The nearly 1 million Floridians who have voted early already rivals the 1.3 million total voters who participated in the state's 2000 primary -- the last time both parties held a contested primary.

The record-breaking early turnout is likely a result of the highly competitive races on both sides, and Florida's decision to move its primary from mid-March to late January.