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Huckabee wins in West Virginia
05/02/2008 22:36 - (SA)
Washington - Baptist preacher Mike Huckabee won the first of the Super Tuesday states, pocketing West Virginia with 52% of the vote as he battles from behind for the Republican presidential nomination, US media said.
His win in the eastern state's Tuesday caucuses adds 18 delegates to the 29 he had already snapped up in previous votes since early January, according to Republican organisers.
Despite a shock win in the kickoff caucuses in Iowa on January 3, the former governor of Arkansas has been trailing third in the polls, behind front-runner Arizona senator John McCain, and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
CNN gave the results of Tuesday's vote as 52% for Huckabee with 47% to Romney. McCain was humiliatingly thumped into third place with just 1% of the vote in the rural, conservative state.
The vote had to go to a second round, after Romney led the first round of voting but failed to secure the required majority, the Republican Party said.
Nine West Virginia district delegates to the Republican Party's nominating convention in September will also be voted for later on May 13. The state also has three super delegates who are free to vote for whoever they like.
A total of 948 Republican delegates are up for grabs in the Super Tuesday voting bonanza, with some 21 states voting for their Republican nominee.
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