UPDATE: Mitt Romney has won the Michigan primary. Romney, who we predicted would take the Michigan contest, beat Rick Santorum in a very close race. With 89% of the precincts in, Romney leads Santorum 41% to 38%.
Romney appeared with his wife, Ann, at Romney headquarters in Novi, MI, stating, “We didn’t win by a lot but we won by enough and that’s all that counts.” After thanking key supporters from Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (who gave Romney a key endorsement over the weekend) to Donald Trump and Kid Rock, Romney touted his recently unveiled economic plan. He got in a few jabs at President Obama before exiting the stage a little before 11:00 PM EST.
Santorum spoke earlier in the evening, looking somber, after Romney was announced Michigan’s winner. Apparently his appeals to Democrats didn’t pan out the way he hoped.
In addition to winning Michigan, Romney handily won the Arizona primary, as was predicted yesterday, The two victories mark the fifth and sixth win for the former Massachusetts Governor, giving him all 29 delegates up for grab in Arizona. Michigan’s delegate rules are different from Arizona’s “winner take all” model. Romney will take at least five of Michigan’s 30 delegates and Santorum will also take at least five. The other 20 delegates will be divided up accordingly.
Romney’s victories in the Grand Canyon State and the Great Lakes State bring the his delegate total to 157 out of the 1,142 needed to clinch the GOP nomination. Santorum is second in the delegate count at 77, Newt Gingrich comes in third with 32 delegates and Ron Paul trails in fourth place with just 19. But with Super Tuesday on the horizon and 564 delegates up for grabs, it is still too early to declare an eventual winner.
