Obama predicts close Indiana primary vote

EVANSVILLE, Ind., May 5 (UPI) -- Sen. Barack Obama, campaigning in Indiana Monday in the final hours before the Democratic presidential primary election, predicted a close contest there.

"This is going to be a tight race," he said. "Every poll shows a dead heat."

Obama made the comments while meeting with union workers in Evansville, Ind., in the southern part of the state where his rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, is thought to have the upper hand among Democrats, according to the Chicago Tribune. Obama's strongest pockets of support in Indiana include the cities of Gary and Indianapolis, where he appeared with musician Stevie Wonder, the newspaper said.

Clinton also spent part of Monday in Evansville, along with other southern Indiana stops, including Merrillville and New Albany. Both candidates jetted between Indiana and North Carolina as the clock wound down to Tuesday's two-state primary elections.

The Tribune reported Obama's performance in northwestern Indiana could be an indicator of how much the controversy involving Rev. Jeremiah Wright has hurt him. News coverage of the Chicago pastor's statements and appearances has been especially heavy in the Gary area.