Trump wins key prize of Ohio, Clinton takes Virginia and Colorado

Hillary Clinton will win California and Hawaii, and take the Electoral College lead, CNN projects, while Donald Trump will win Idaho.

Donald Trump will win the key state of Ohio, CNN projects, a key victory as he and Hillary Clinton wage an epic battle for swing states that will decide the race for the presidency.

The Ohio victory is especially important for Trump as no Republican has won the White House without taking the Buckeye State. That result and his strong position in Florida make it increasingly possible Trump has a path to the 270 electoral votes needed to win.

But Clinton pulled out desperately needed wins in Virginia and Colorado even as she faces a much stronger than expected challenge from Trump in Michigan and Wisconsin. Those Midwestern states form the bedrock of her Democratic firewall.

The mood in the Clinton campaign has shifted dramatically as it frantically tries to understand what's happening in Florida. A senior adviser conceded the campaign's modeling was off, but believed Clinton has enough votes still out to take the state.

Beyond his lead in Florida, Trump is also ahead in North Carolina.

That prospect of a Trump win quickly sent global markets tumbling, amid fears his vow to ditch global trade deals and brand China a currency manipulator would spark global economic shocks. Dow futures plummeted 500 points, or almost 3%, Wednesday night. Major indexes in Asia are falling by similar amounts.

So far, Trump has won 19 states, including Texas. Clinton has come out on top in New York and 12 other states along with the District of Columbia. Trump has 167 electoral votes compared to 131 electoral votes for Clinton, according to CNN projections.

Regardless of who prevails, history will be made as Americans elect either their first woman president or side with the ultimate political outsider.