2008 Michigan Primary

The 2008 Michigan Primary was held on January 15, 2008. The Republican winner was Mitt Romney, with 39% of the vote, followed by John McCain (30%) and Mike Huckabee (16%). The Democratic winner was Hillary Clinton, under special conditions outlined below. Because Michigan moved up the date of its primary, there is a controversy within both parties as to the status of its delegates. The Republican Party stripped Michigan of half its delegates, and the Democratic Party has stated that none of Michigan's delegates will be seated at the convention. The state parties expect these decisions to be reversed, and a similar situation in Florida has led to Florida governor Charlie Crist calling for a repeat of that state's primary. John Edwards and Barack Obama withdrew their names from the Michigan ballots as a result of the controversy, and Hillary Clinton won with 56% of the vote ('uncommitted' and 'undecided' totaled 40%, while the candidate in nominal second place was Dennis Kucinich, with 3%).