Michigan Delegates Divided: Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney Each Finish With 15 Delegates

WASHINGTON — Despite winning the popular vote in Michigan's primary, Mitt Romney will split his home state's convention delegates with second-place finisher Rick Santorum.

They each won 15 of the state's 30 delegates.

Santorum portrayed the delegate tie as a victory, given that Romney was born and raised in Michigan and outspent him.

"This is a huge win for us. Let's play it the way it is," Santorum said Wednesday after delivering a speech in Tennessee, which holds its primary next week.

"Don't give Romney all the spin. We went into his backyard, he spent a fortune – money he had no intention of spending – and we came out of there with the same number of delegates he does," Santorum said. "We are in great shape going to this election. We are excited about what's going to happen on Super Tuesday."

Romney got the most votes in Michigan, 41 percent to Santorum's 38 percent. But most of Michigan's delegates are awarded based on results in each of the state's 14 congressional districts. Candidates got two delegates for winning each district.

Romney and Santorum each won seven congressional districts, so they split 28 delegates. The final two delegates are awarded proportionally, based on the statewide vote, and they split those as well.

In the other primary on Tuesday, Romney won all 29 delegates in Arizona's winner-take-all contest. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul were shut out of delegates in Tuesday's contests.

Romney leads the overall race for delegates, with 167. Santorum has 87 delegates, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has 32 and Texas Rep. Ron Paul has 19.

It takes 1,144 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

Next up: precinct caucuses in Washington state on Saturday, followed by Super Tuesday next week, when voters will head to the polls or caucuses in 10 states, with 419 delegates at stake,

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Associated Press writer Erik Schelzig in Powell, Tenn., contributed to this report.

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Comments

[Lindanda]

09:19 PM on 03/01/2012

I am beginning to think all the posts here that praise Obama, are from Obama's group. I can't believe there are so many stupid people that say Obama is a great President.

[solid centrist]

12:57 PM on 03/01/2012

We non Republican people who are capable to think for ourselves would like nothing better than to have the dangerous-to-himself and unbalanced Gingrich as the nominee. Santorum would be almost as much fun to observe as he self destructs. But, it might be even more fun for us to watch a brokered convention to see what slime would ooze out to be the sacrificial candidate. I think that Jeb Bush as that candidate could add the most entertainment value to see President Obama eviscerate

[HAD ENUFF HUFF]

05:20 AM on 03/02/2012

At least at this point, gingrich is only a danger to himself, too bad bo's damage wasn't as limited.

[solid centrist]

07:44 AM on 03/02/2012

Many millions of patriotic Americans have had more than enough of jerks like you.

[gonro2]

11:49 AM on 03/01/2012

heheh.......and the beat goes on

[rini1946]

10:50 AM on 03/01/2012

My question still is why do the voter have to pay for these primary the repuse a can and the dem o rats should pay

[Gary Lindsay]

10:41 AM on 03/01/2012

The proportional allocation of delegates is incredibly stupid politically. Primaries are inherently political, not (small-d) democratic. If you are a smart party leader, you want the system to magnify small differences, to make you man (or woman) look stronger. Winner take all or at least winner take most is where both parties should be doing, to make the infighting we see now in the GOP, or in 2008 in the Democratic Party go away. A little tempering in primaries is good, but the blood baths are not.

[Lindanda]

10:02 AM on 03/01/2012

Obama needs to go, he should have been impeached. Your people need to read the facts. He has distroyed this wonderful country.

[mimimus]

10:25 AM on 03/01/2012

I'd love to send you a dollar so you could buy a clue, pilgrim™.

[Gary Lindsay]

10:57 AM on 03/01/2012

Please identify credible "high crimes and misdeameanors" to justify an impeachment. Your side just thinks because you wanted to win, the other side must be criminal.

[Lindanda]

03:58 PM on 03/01/2012

I don't take either side, I vote for the best person for the job, and Obama is NOT anyone I want in the Whithouse another 4 years. He is a lier, he has false Birth Certificate and is a Muslum. You need to read more. I voted for Obama which was my big mistake. Not being a US Citizen is a crime to be a President. You need to read more than just surface crap.

[baddude]

09:58 AM on 03/01/2012

Only Santorum is capable of losing and claiming a victory, conveniently forgetting that had it not been an open primary he would have lost decisively. But the Washington insider used Chicago-like politics and actually robo-called Democrats to vote for him to stop Romney. Yet he lost the Catholic vote, the conservative vote, the femaile vote, among other demographic voters. Santorum has never held a job in the private sector, but he'll be forced to soon!

[gonro2]

11:52 AM on 03/01/2012

yeh ---I know what you mean like claiming he lost in Iowa when he actually won and could have had more momentum going in......want to call dirty tricks call it on the shady folks who gave it to Romney initially

[Dumplingxyz]

09:56 AM on 03/01/2012

Think about it..... OBAMA is THE BEST Republican out there!!!! Nuff said, PERIOD!!!

[Lindanda]

10:05 AM on 03/01/2012

You must have the degree of a 5th grader. OBAMA really? You need to read more, much much more.

[Gary Lindsay]

11:20 AM on 03/01/2012

Give me a "tax and spend" democrat over a "taxcut and spend anyway" republican any olde day. The democrats have been the party of fiscal responsibility for 20 years now.

[Cubatraveler]

09:56 AM on 03/01/2012

Relax, it really does not matter who wins the White House, the status quo will remain the same. The only possible difference maker would be Ron Paul, but the real power brokers won't let that happen. Both parties serve the same Masters, that is Wall Street and the IMF, Corporate America and the one world currency, one world government backers. It will be so easy to predict the future of America. It will be more of the same---more debt, more unemployment, more jobs lost to "free trade", and a continual slide toward the past, before the days of FDR when there were two classes, the rich and the poor. There will be no middle class in the U.S. in another generation.

[solid centrist]

01:05 PM on 03/01/2012

Atlas shrugged, and knocked you right off of the turnip truck.

[JamesBinKS]

09:56 AM on 03/01/2012

Does Not Matter who wins The People of this country will Lose since it is a Politician that is going to be elected and they are all Liars,cheats,and Thieves only wanting to get elected so they can Steal as Much Money as they can Like every Politician

[redwingirish]

10:02 AM on 03/01/2012

True! It's the American way!

[HAD ENUFF HUFF]

05:32 AM on 03/02/2012

James Your statement is true and correct but could be challenged if people would educate themselves about Ron Paul, the only exception to the rule. If we want our country to be what it hasn't been in over a hundred years, then we need to get back to what the Founders intended for us, the Constitution! That is what Ron Paul follows and wants to get the "power" out of DC and back to us "WE, the people" by returning power to the states as it should be.

Are any of us serious about taking back our country? If we are, he is the man to lead the way. The GOP, DEMS and the media are going to be making false statements about the biggest threat to the status quo in DC, RonPaul2012.com.

[areenactor]

09:46 AM on 03/01/2012

if the democrates would have minded their own business, and not medled in the republican party's affairs mr. romney would have been the clear winner. santorum should hang his head in shame!

[HAD ENUFF HUFF]

05:36 AM on 03/02/2012

Why should Santorum hang HIS head "in shame" areenactor? Romney wanted the "open" primary because he thought he'd benefit, he didn't, too bad. WHY should dems and independents be voting in the republican primary, anyway? It's Romney who should be "ashamed."

[stanace27]

09:44 AM on 03/01/2012

It is beyond me why people from a minority are supporting the Republicans. Yes we can all have conservative values, and believe in Capitalism, but voting for a party that is against the poor, the state funding of programs to help the poor & middle class,and has no representation of minorities in their party or news corporations other than a small handful and the 4 idiots that are running for the current Republican nomination don't have a clue just makes things a lot worse than they really are!

America will be a very bad place if these looney's are elected to govern this country. America is supposed to be a free for all, not just the rich and what makes it stand out ever more is the facts that opportunity exists for everyone and not just the rich!

[gonro2]

11:54 AM on 03/01/2012

because they can ...it's America where your e free to choose your candidate

[rocks4aliving]

09:41 AM on 03/01/2012

realpoitic.... Republicans in the majority voted in tuesdays elections. Romney will loose the state of Michigan in November. Even you should know that.... thats whats strange.

[Jim Marshall]

09:34 AM on 03/01/2012

I have little or no concern the President will win in Nov. in a landslide election. These republician canidates might as well save their so called party alot of time and effort because they have no chance to win over President OBama.

[areenactor]

09:47 AM on 03/01/2012

i respectfully disagree jim. the only way mr. obama will win in november is with massive voter fraud and cheating.

[Lindanda]

09:58 AM on 03/01/2012

I so agree with you areenactor!

[baddude]

10:00 AM on 03/01/2012

Bingo!!

[mizzoutwo]

10:00 AM on 03/01/2012

Soaring gas prices, a stagnant economy, skyrocketing government debt, Afghanistan, illegal immigration, Solyndra...., yeah, I guess there's nothing for the President to worry about come November.

[Lindanda]

10:08 AM on 03/01/2012

You got that right. And yet these idiots still think Obama is good for this country? I don't get it.

[Dancenownzen]

09:33 AM on 03/01/2012

NONE of this matters .... we already have a winner !

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[polly6]

09:38 AM on 03/01/2012

Hey, nice job.

[bpd9227]

09:38 AM on 03/01/2012

Yea, he's a real winner alright.