Over 52 percent of the 2,161 delegates needed to win the Democratic presidential nomination will be up for grabs on Super Tuesday, 2004:
California - 370 delegates
New York - 236 delegates
Ohio - 140 delegates
Massachusetts - 93 delegates
Georgia - 86 delegates
Minnesota ? 72 delegates
Maryland ? 69 delegates
Connecticut ? 49 delegates
Rhode Island ? 21 delegates
Who Started Super Tuesday?
The states of Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama, and Georgia first contrived Super Tuesday in 1988 as attempt to increase the influence of Southern states in selecting the final presidential candidates.
Political party planners in the Southern states hoped that by simultaneously holding their primaries, they could increase the strength of conservative candidates, over candidates they considered to be more liberal. To say the least, the plan failed, as the decidedly non-conservative Jesse Jackson and Mike Dukakis won the most primaries in Super Tuesday 1988.
Today, the Southern states of Texas, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi continue to hold their primaries on the same day, typically the Tuesday after Super Tuesday.
How Important IS Super Tuesday?
Big wins on Super Tuesday have historically sealed the deal for the successful candidates in securing their party's nomination.
In 1992, Democrat Bill Clinton, after losing several early primaries, convincingly won primaries in several key Southern states on Super Tuesday.
Clinton, of course, went on to win the Democratic nomination and the Presidential election. In 1996, Bob Dole wrapped up the Republican nomination on Super Tuesday, as did both Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush in 2000.