What many pundits predicted would be a close primary on the Republican side Tuesday was anything but that in Michigan, where Mitt Romney, the son of former Gov. George Romney, topped Arizona Senator John McCain, earning nearly 39-percent of the vote to McCain’s 29.7-percent.
In Oakland County, and Orion Township, the results were skewed even more in Romney’s favor, as he took over 46-percent of the GOP vote county-wide (to McCain’s 26.8-percent), and nearly 45-percent township-wide (to McCain’s 25.8-percent).
Just over 25-percent of county voters turned out for the election, a number that was just under 25-percent in the township (or 5,802 of the registered 23,540 township voters).
The primaries were moved up to January in hopes of making the state more important on the national landscape. But, as a result, the national parties stripped the Republican side of half of their state delegates and the Democrats of all of theirs (though some expect delegates will be reinstated prior to the national conventions).
On the Democrat’s side, the move resulted in two of the three front runners, Illinois Senator Barack Obama and former South Carolina Senator John Edwards, removing themselves from the ballot.
That shift was credited for a large number of traditional Democrat supporters voting on the republican side.
About 40-percent of state-wide voters chose to vote on the Democrat side, while about 25-percent did so in Orion Township, where the primary was closed (meaning voters had to pick their ballot before voting).
Hillary Clinton garnered 55.3-percent of the state’s vote and 55.5-percent of the township’s vote, winning both with ease.
Many of Obama’s and Edwards? supporters ended up voting ‘uncommitted,? which received 40-percent of the vote state-wide and 38.1-percent of the vote in Orion.
Mike Huckabee ran third in both Orion and in the state for the Republicans, as did Dennis Kucinich for the Democrats.
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Tuesday’s primary marked the end of a week-long campaign in the state for a few of the candidates, most notably McCain and Romney.
Both candidates campaigned nearby, with McCain getting as close as the Oakland County International Airport in Waterford and Romney hosting a speech Monday night in West Bloomfield.
Only longshot Republican candidate Duncan Hunter, who stopped in Oxford in late December, came closer to Orion prior to the primary vote.
Former Lake Orion Village Manager JoAnn Van Tassel, a township resident, saw McCain while he was in Waterford last week and came away impressed.
‘He’s making a big push,? Van Tassel said of McCain’s campaign both in Michigan and nationally.
She added that she not only met the Arizona Senator, who won the 2000 primary election in Michigan, but also got his autograph on a campaign poster.
Township Treasurer Alice Young was among those who listened to Romney on Monday.
‘I’ve heard him speak twice now,? Young said. ‘He sounds extremely presidential.?
Young said others in attendance at Romney’s event included township Trustees John Garlicki and Matt Gibb, as well as County Commissioner Mike Gingell and Eric Wilson, who serves on the county’s Road Commission.