Former President Donald Trump swept the Michigan GOP nominating convention on Saturday, clinching all of the contested delegates and paving the way for him to lock up the party’s nomination later this month.
Trump won 39 of the delegates that were up for grabs in Michigan, bringing his total in the battleground state to 51 delegates after winning 12 during the state’s primary election earlier this week. The results far surpass Nikki Haley, who won only four delegates during the primary and came up empty after Saturday’s convention.
The victory underscores Trump’s support among Republicans in Michigan after the former president handily defeated Nikki Haley in Tuesday’s election, garnering 68% of the vote compared to just 27% for Haley.
The nominating contest brings Trump’s total number of delegates to 197 so far in the primary cycle, far above Haley’s 24. In order to win the nomination, a candidate must win 1,215 delegates — which Trump is expected to secure shortly after Super Tuesday next week, when 15 states will hold their primary contests all at once.
The Michigan Republican Party split its nominating system after state Democrats passed a law that moved Michigan’s primary date earlier in the calendar, violating rules set by the national GOP. To avoid any punishment, the state GOP adopted a hybrid nominating system.
Trump’s victory in Michigan comes despite confusion in the state earlier this week stemming from a monthslong leadership dispute. Up until this week, it remained unclear where the party would even meet for its nominating convention.
The intraparty dissension comes after state Republicans voted to remove GOP Chairwoman Kristina Karamo, arguing she hadn’t done enough to advance the party before the 2024 cycle began and citing at least $500,000 in debt. Karamo was then replaced by former Rep. Pete Hoekstra, who is backed by Trump and recognized by the Republican National Committee.
However, Karamo refused to acknowledge her ouster, filing an emergency motion to the Michigan Court of Appeals to remain chairwoman. That appeal was denied earlier this week.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Both Karamo and Hoekstra organized separate conventions to allocate the state’s remaining delegates, prompting confusion on which gathering was deemed official. Karamo planned one convention in Detroit, whereas Hoekstra organized one in Grand Rapids.
However, after the court rejected Karamo’s appeal, the Detroit convention was reportedly canceled — seemingly bringing an end to the dispute.
