John McCain narrowly defeated Mitt Romney in Florida’s Republican presidential primary Tuesday, giving him a major boost heading into next week’s Super Tuesday contests.
With 72 percent of Florida’s precincts reporting, McCain had 36 percent of the vote and Romney had 31 percent. Rudy Giuliani was a distant third with 15 percent, while Mike Huckabee was fourth with 13 percent.
Since Florida was a winner-take-all state, McCain was awarded all 57 delegates in the state.
Exit polls showed that McCain edged Romney among veterans, senior citizens and even voters worried about the economy, which had been considered Romney’s strong suit. Throughout the bitter contest in Florida, McCain had sought to keep the focus on national security, which is regarded as his forte.
McCain trounced Romney among Hispanic voters, who evidently were sympathetic to McCain’s desire to grant legal status to illegal immigrants. McCain had been endorsed by influential Sen. Mel Martinez, Florida Republican, the Senate’s first Cuban-American.
Conversely, McCain lost badly to Romney among conservatives and voters concerned about illegal immigration. Conservatives have long derided McCain’s stance on illegal immigration as amnesty.
Giuliani, who had staked his entire candidacy on Florida, was significantly weakened by his poor performance in the state. As recently as Tuesday, Giuliani was flatly predicting that the winner of Florida would go on to secure the nomination. Speculation is growing about a withdrawal by Giuliani, who was once the undisputed national front-runner.
“Is this one for all of the marbles for you?” CNN’s John Roberts asked Giuliani in Florida Tuesday. “If you don’t win here, that’s it?”
“I would never put it that way,” Giuliani replied. “But I would say it’s real important.”
Huckabee seemed to realize weeks ago that he would probably not win the 57 delegates in Florida, a winner-take-all state. So he divided his time between Florida and Super Tuesday states, where he has a chance to win several southern contests. Earlier this month, Huckabee won Iowa.
“We’re really just getting started,” Huckabee told supporters in Missouri, adding that he intended to play “all nine innings of this ball game.”
Although Huckabee finished behind Giuliani, he suggested the former New York mayor would drop out of the race before tonight’s GOP debate in California.
“I’m not sure everybody’s going to be on that stage,” Huckabee said. “But I will be.”
So will McCain and Romney, who are expected to battle each other for a protracted period. Romney, who previously won Michigan, Nevada and Wyoming, has the money and organization for a long and grueling fight, while McCain, who won New Hampshire and South Carolina, has demonstrated an ability to survive on enthusiasm and determination.
