FACTBOX - State contests ahead and stakes for candidates

(Reuters) - Here is a list of the upcoming U.S. presidential nominating state primaries and caucuses and what is at stake for candidates in the days and weeks ahead.

* January 26: South Carolina (Democratic primary). The outcome will be closely watched to see whether Hillary Clinton wins again over Barack Obama, which would be a blow to the Illinois senator's bid to be the Democratic nominee. A Clinton win in the state with a predominantly black Democratic electorate would add to the New York senator's victory in Nevada over the weekend, putting her out front in the race. Previously the two leading candidates had split contests in Iowa and New Hampshire. Edwards, who has placed a distant third in the early opening rounds, is counting on a win in the state he was born in to stay alive. He will face very long odds if he again loses.

* January 29: Florida (Republican primary; Democrats are not contesting the state because of dispute with national party.) Rudy Giuliani has put all his resources and time into this contest, hoping to benefit from the large population of Northeasterners who have relocated to the warm Southern state and his tough theme of national security. It is an important test for the former New York mayor, who bypassed earlier contests to concentrate on Florida and has largely faded from view as those contests grabbed the headlines. The voting is also key for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, whose sole win so far has been in Iowa, where a strong evangelical turnout fuelled his surprise victory. Since then he has failed to turn in another win, losing to Sen. John McCain in South Carolina Saturday. Polls show McCain leading the pack as well in Florida with voting just a week away. Don't count out former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who added Nevada to his win list Saturday and has remained in the race and has the resources to stay in.

* February 1: Maine (Republican) One more chance for Republicans to score a win in advance of the Super Tuesday matchup of 22 states. Few candidates will have the resources to make major plays in array of major voting centres.

* Super Tuesday, February 5: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho (Democratic), Illinois, Kansas (Democratic), Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana (Republican), New Jersey, New Mexico (Democratic), New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia (Republican). Once thought to be the definitive date on the political calendar, when nominees in each party would be clearly determined, the picture is far more muddled now by the number of candidates who have staked wins in different places. The sheer number of contests on this day could give the legitimate contenders plenty of opportunities to find a win somewhere and move on. However, a candidate who picks up many victories across the country -- especially in the big states like California and New York -- could be on his or her way to the nomination. A number of candidates have connections to these states: McCain represents Arizona in the Senate, Huckabee was former governor of Arkansas, Obama is from Illinois, Romney was a former governor of Massachusetts and Clinton and Giuliani are from New York.

* February 9: Louisiana, Kansas (Republican), Washington.

* February 10: Maine (Democratic)

* February 12: District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia. These races a week after Super Tuesday now loom as potentially important contests if no decisive victor in either party has emerged.

* February 19: Hawaii (Democratic), Wisconsin. Same holds true for these contests a week later.