Super Tuesday | McCain wins New York, surges to considerable lead nationally
By Conor Orr
Posted: 2/6/08, 2:38 AM EST Section: News
Sen. John McCain, the Republican from Arizona, won the New York Republican presidential primary as part of a commanding national performance on Super Tuesday.
McCain was projected to capture 51 percent of the New York vote with 99 percent of the precincts reporting at press time, according to the Associated Press.
McCain held a 522-223 delegate advantage over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, his nearest competitor, the A.P. reported at press time.
Twenty-one states held their Republican primaries on Super Tuesday. McCain's victories widened a race that was within five delegates before Tuesday.
McCain added New York's 87 delegates to go along with victories in eight other states, including Illinois, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Romney, who was projected to receive 28 percent of the New York vote, performed well in less-populated states, winning in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and Utah - along with his home state.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee finished third in New York with 11 percent of the vote. The South was his, however, winning the delegates of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and West Virginia. Alaska was too close to call at press time.
Still, it was McCain who emerged the winner when the night ended.
"I think it shows that he can win many states, from the South to the Northeast and West Coast, and he has a broad base of support," said Nick Johnson, co-chair for Students at Syracuse for John McCain, in a phone interview.
As the polls closed around at 9 p.m., CNN exit statistics show McCain did well among New York's middle-aged and elderly residents, while also receiving a popularity boost from his more liberal stance on conservative issues like abortion.
For Syracuse University sophomore Frank Hegyi, the deciding factor was religion, an issue that helped McCain while hurting his chief competitor.
"I voted for McCain, my second choice," he said. "Romney seemed too religious-fanaticky for me."
McCain was projected to capture 51 percent of the New York vote with 99 percent of the precincts reporting at press time, according to the Associated Press.
McCain held a 522-223 delegate advantage over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, his nearest competitor, the A.P. reported at press time.
Twenty-one states held their Republican primaries on Super Tuesday. McCain's victories widened a race that was within five delegates before Tuesday.
McCain added New York's 87 delegates to go along with victories in eight other states, including Illinois, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Romney, who was projected to receive 28 percent of the New York vote, performed well in less-populated states, winning in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and Utah - along with his home state.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee finished third in New York with 11 percent of the vote. The South was his, however, winning the delegates of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and West Virginia. Alaska was too close to call at press time.
Still, it was McCain who emerged the winner when the night ended.
"I think it shows that he can win many states, from the South to the Northeast and West Coast, and he has a broad base of support," said Nick Johnson, co-chair for Students at Syracuse for John McCain, in a phone interview.
As the polls closed around at 9 p.m., CNN exit statistics show McCain did well among New York's middle-aged and elderly residents, while also receiving a popularity boost from his more liberal stance on conservative issues like abortion.
For Syracuse University sophomore Frank Hegyi, the deciding factor was religion, an issue that helped McCain while hurting his chief competitor.
"I voted for McCain, my second choice," he said. "Romney seemed too religious-fanaticky for me."
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