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Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Republican presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Republican Party
chose its nominee for President of the United States
in the 2008 U.S. presidential election
. Senator
John McCain
was selected as the nominee through a series of primary election
s and caucus
es culminating in the 2008 Republican National Convention
held from Monday, September 1, through Thursday, September 4, 2008, in Minneapolis, Minnesota
.
In a crowded primary of several prominent Republicans eying the nomination, moderate former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani
was the early front runner. However, Governor Mike Huckabee
won the Iowa Caucuses as he gained momentum just two months prior to the primary. Moderate U.S. Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain
won the New Hampshire primary, eventually leading to Giuliani's fall, as the mayor did not win a single primary
.
McCain ultimately won the nomination after winning most of the primaries against Mike Huckabee
and Governor Mitt Romney
on Super Tuesday.
! colspan="2" | Primary key
|-
! Primary type !! Explanation
|-
! Closed>
! Open
! Modified open
! Caucus
! Primary
! Convention
! Presidential preference
! WTA
! Proportional The state's delegates are divided up among the candidates, in proportion to their percentage of the vote
Republican candidates in the 2008 U.S. presidential election campaigned for the nomination of their party in a series of primary elections and caucus events.
Unlike the Democratic Party, which mandates a proportional representation
for delegate selection, the Republican Party has no such limitation. For states with primaries, some states choose to use the "winner-take-all" method to allocate delegates within a state, while others do winner-take-all within a specific congressional district, and still others use the proportional process. Unlike the Democratic Party state party by-laws determine whether each delegate is pledged and for long the delegate is pledged.
In caucus states, most state parties use a two pronged process. A straw poll
, often called a presidential preference poll, is conducted of the attendees at the caucus. The results are released to the media and published on the state party website. Delegates are then elected to the county conventions. It is at the county conventions that delegates are elected to state conventions, and from the state convention to the national convention. At each level, delegates may be bound or unbound to a candidate. If unbound, delegates are not obligated to follow the results of the presidential preference poll. Thus, all estimates of delegates from caucus states are dependent on state party by-laws.
choosing not to seek the nomination and Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice
ruling herself out, the race for the 2008 presidential nomination was wide open. It officially began in March 2006 when John H. Cox
became the first candidate to enter the 2008 race. The Democratic takeover of both houses of Congress and President Bush's unpopularity were strong issues for the GOP field. At the beginning of 2007, the announced Republican field was former Governor of Wisconsin
and Cabinet member Tommy Thompson
, former Governor of Virginia Jim Gilmore
, and Senator of Kansas
Sam Brownback
. Former senator of Virginia
George Allen
was considered a top contender until his loss in the midterm elections. He announced on December 10, 2006 that he would not seek the 2008 nomination. In early January former Governor of Massachusetts
Mitt Romney
announced he was forming an exploratory committee. Afterwards several others announced they were running, including U.S.Congressman Ron Paul
, Mike Huckabee
of Arkansas, Rudy Giuliani
of New York City, U.S. Senator John McCain
, U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter
, and U.S. Congressman Tom Tancredo
. A poll released in early February had Giuliani leading with 32% and John McCain
second with 18%. By early March, Giuliani had become the frontrunner. Alan Keyes
and former Senator and actor Fred Thompson entered the race later in September.
The first to drop out of the race was Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore
in July. After that Tommy Thompson
also dropped out in August after finishing sixth in the Ames Iowa straw poll. Then pro-life advocate Sam Brownback
dropped out of the race in October. In December, staunch illegal-immigration opponent Tom Tancredo
and businessman John H. Cox
also left the race.
On January 3, 2008, the Iowa caucuses
began. The final averaged results from Real Clear Politics showed Mike Huckabee at 30%, Romney at 27%, McCain and Thompson tied at 12%, Paul at 7%, and Giuliani at 6%. Among those surveyed in Exit Polling data, 45% cited themselves as very conservative and voted for Huckabee 35% to Romney's 23% and Thompson's 22%. Among those who called themselves "somewhat conservative" (43%), Huckabee won 34% to Romney's 27% and McCain's 18%.
Final Results showed Huckabee swept much of the state with the exception of the western and eastern portions of the state which included Davenport
, Cedar Rapids
, as well as Sioux City
. Romney swept the eastern and western portions of the state and Paul took one southern county. The final results in Iowa were Huckabee with 34%, Romney with 25%, Thompson and McCain each with 13%, Paul with 10% and Giuliani with 4%.
In the New Hampshire Primary, both McCain and Romney had gambled much on the state. McCain had staked much on his grassroots efforts in the state he won in 2000, as well as the state with one of the most independent voting blocks which was McCain's strong suit. Romney, coming from neighboring Massachusetts
was known by many in New Hampshire and even owned a home in the state of New Hampshire. Pre-Primary polling showed McCain with a slight edge (32%-28%)with Huckabee leading Giuliani for third (12%-9%).
On Primary night, McCain won 37%-32% and Huckabee beat Giuliani for third 11%-9%. After the results, Huckabee decided to focus on the South Carolina primary, while both McCain and Romney went to Michigan where polls showed a competitive race between the two.
received $6 million in new funds immediately after her New Hampshire win.
Nevertheless, some polls showed McCain getting a significant national bounce from his New Hampshire win; the January 11 CNN nationwide poll had him at 34 percent support, a 21-point increase from where he had been just a month before, and a significant lead over follow-upers Huckabee (21 percent) and Giuliani (18 percent). As the Michigan race entered its final days, McCain gained some notoriety by sending out mailers there and in South Carolina attacking Romney's tax record and touting his own. A Romney campaign spokesman called the ad "as sloppy as it is factually incorrect", and FactCheck.org called the piece "misleading." McCain responded by saying, "It's not negative campaigning. I think it's what his record is." "It's a tough business," he added.
The dominant issue in Michigan was the state of the economy. Michigan had by far the nation's largest unemployment rate, at 7.4 percent, and was continuing to lose jobs from its historical manufacturing base. McCain offered a bit of his "straight talk", saying that "There are some jobs that aren't coming back to Michigan," and proposing federal job training plans and other remedies to compensate. Romney seized on McCain's statement as overly pessimistic and promoted instead his family heritage — "[I've] got the automobile industry in my blood veins" — as well as his being a Washington outsider who would go there and "turn Washington inside out."
In the end, McCain finished second in the primary behind Romney, gaining 30 percent of the vote to Romney's 39 percent.
beating out John McCain for second. Romney campaigned hard in Nevada and did not campaign in South Carolina, while the other leading Republican candidates, John McCain
and Mike Huckabee
, kept their focus on South Carolina. Nevada was not subject to the Republican party cutting in half the number of delegates the state can send to the national convention, and neither was South Carolina. However, Nevada had more delegates at stake than South Carolina. A win in Nevada extended Romney's lead in total delegates. Nevada's large Mormon
population helped Romney win the state.
On January 17, Ron Paul's Nevada campaign representatives warned state GOP officials that thousands of caucus goers had been given incorrect information on where to go to caucus. The problem was fixed - via a message on the Nevada GOP website - that morning, two days before the caucus.
After coming last in this caucus, Duncan Hunter
withdrew his bid for the nomination.
Mike Huckabee needed to win South Carolina for his campaign to remain viable. RealClearPolitics
reported that the average support from polls placed McCain in the lead with 26.9%, followed by Huckabee with 25.9%, Romney with 14.7%, Thompson with 14.6%, Paul with 4.4%, and Giuliani with 3.4%. Thompson started attacking Mike Huckabee heavily, questioning his conservative credentials. But in the end McCain narrowly won by 14,743 or 3%, putting McCain as the frontrunner in Florida.
Fred Thompson only placed third, even though he had started to campaign in South Carolina immediately after Iowa and before the other candidates had started campaigning there. He withdrew the next day.
campaigned quite heavily in Florida, which he expected to use as his "launch pad" for a "strong showing" on Super Tuesday
. He campaigned almost entirely in Florida, and largely ignored South Carolina
and other states voting before February 5. Polls taken before the primary showed that John McCain was the slight front runner over Mitt Romney. Giuliani had been campaigning with virtually no opposition; however, following the South Carolina Republican primary, 2008
, several candidates flew down to Florida to begin campaigning up to January 29 when the primary occurred. RealClearPolitics
reported that the average support from polls taken in the days immediately prior to primary day placed McCain slightly in the lead with 30.7%, followed by Romney with 30.1%, Giuliani with 14.7%, Huckabee with 12.9%, and Paul with 3.6%. Former Senator Fred Thompson and Rep. Duncan Hunter
, though already out of the race, still remained on the ballot in the Florida primary.
On January 31 McCain received the endorsement of California Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger
and began campaigning with him. This was a key endorsement, as California was one of the Super Tuesday states and had more delegates than any other state. The same day, Governor Rick Perry
of Texas threw his support behind McCain. Perry had previously been a Giuliani supporter, while Schwarzenegger had refrained from endorsing either McCain or Giuliani because he counted both men as friends. Meanwhile, Romney, still burning about McCain's misleading Iraq withdrawal timetable charge, compared McCain to disgraced former President Richard Nixon
, saying that McCain's claim was “reminiscent of the Nixon era” and that “I don’t think I want to see our party go back to that kind of campaigning.”
McCain won his home state of Arizona, taking all 53 of the state's delegates and the largest of the Super Tuesday prizes, winning nearly all of California's 173 delegates. McCain also scored wins in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Oklahoma. Huckabee also made surprise wins in states he had polled behind in previously like Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. Huckabee also won the first contest of Super Tuesday in West Virginia. Romney won his home state of Massachusetts. He also won Utah, Colorado, and Minnesota.
The next day, McCain appeared confident that he would be the Republican nominee. Estimates showed him with 707 delegates - nearly 60% of the total needed to win the nomination. He began to appeal to disaffected conservatives, saying ""We share the common principles and values and ideas for the future of this country based on a fundamental conservative political philosophy, which has been my record." He also suggested that the right wing of the party "calm down a little bit" and begin to look for areas of agreement. Meanwhile, Romney advisers privately expressed doubts about whether their candidate could realistically hope to defeat McCain, and it was unclear if Romney would spend significant money on key February 12 contests in Virginia and Maryland.
(CPAC) in Washington, DC on February 7, while Mike Huckabee spoke on February 9. Romney used his speech to announce the end of his campaign, saying, "Now if I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention -- (cheers, applause). I want you to know I've given this a lot of thought. I'd forestall the launch of a national campaign and, frankly, I'd be making it easier for Senator Clinton or Obama to win. Frankly, in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror." McCain spoke about an hour later, again appealing to right-wing uncertainty about his ideology.
He focused on his opposition to abortion and gun control, as well as his support for lower taxes and free-market health care solutions. He told the CPAC audience that he arrived in Washington as "a foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution
", and addressed the issue of illegal immigration - one of the major issues where conservatives have attacked McCain. He said that "it would be among my highest priorities to secure our borders first", before addressing other immigration laws. Mike Huckabee spoke to CPAC two days later and said, "I know that there was some speculation that I might come here today to announce that I would be getting out of the race. But I want to make sure you understand. Am I quitting? Well, let's get that settled right now. No, I'm not. And the reason is simple—I never learned arithmetic. You see folks, while I didn't get a college degree in mathematics and writing, I majored in miracles. Mathematically impossible miracles. It is because I go back to that which helped crystallize in me a conservative viewpoint as a teenager when it wasn't easy or popular to be a Republican or a conservative in my hometown, because I do believe that America is about making choices, not simply echoing that of others. Let others join the "Me, too" crowd. But I didn't get where I am today and I didn't fight the battles in a state that, when I became its governor, was 90 percent Democrat, by simply echoing the voices of others. I did it by staking out a choice, stating that choice, making that choice and fighting for that choice, to believe that some things were right, some things were wrong, and it's better to be right and even to not win than it is to be wrong and to be a part of the crowd."
February 9 saw voting in Louisiana
, Kansas
and Washington
state. Huckabee won an easy victory in Kansas, claiming all 36 of the state's delegates to the national convention. Only 14,016 votes were cast, and the McCain campaign expressed no concern over the lightly attended caucus. However, social conservatives had a strong presence in the Kansas Republican party, and the results served to highlight conservative dissatisfaction with the Senator. Louisiana was much closer, but Huckabee won there as well, beating McCain by less than one percentage point. McCain was declared the winner of the Washington caucuses, where 18 delegates were at stake. The February 19 primary would determine the other 19 delegates from the state. When McCain was declared the winner of the caucuses, with a lead of only 242 (3,468 to 3,226) over Huckabee and counting stopped with only 87% of the precincts reporting, Huckabee's campaign indicated that they would challenge the results.
Next up was the Potomac primary
on February 12, with voting in Virginia
, Maryland
and the District of Columbia
. McCain swept the three races and took all 113 delegates which were at stake.
The next day, the McCain camp released a memo calling a Huckabee win "mathematically impossible." In truth, however, it was not impossible. In fact, if Huckabee failed to reach 1191 delegates but succeeded in keeping McCain from reaching 1191, then the result would have been a brokered convention.
With the media declaring McCain the "presumptive nominee", McCain began to focus on the Democrats, particularly leading candidate Barack Obama, in anticipation of the general election.
The day after McCain's Potomac sweep, the Kansas City Star published a list of people who have been mentioned as possible McCain running mates
, if he secured the nomination.
On February 14, Mitt Romney officially endorsed McCain and asked his approximately 280 delegates to support him at the national convention. If all or most of Romney's delegates backed McCain, it would give him nearly enough to win the nomination, with several large states still yet to vote. Despite these developments, Huckabee vowed to stay in the race. "I may get beat, but I’m not going to quit," he said. A few days later, McCain was endorsed by former President George H.W. Bush, in a move intended to shore up his support among base party elements.
On February 19, McCain continued his winning ways, picking up wins over Huckabee in the Wisconsin primary
and the Washington state primary
. McCain and Barack Obama
engaged in a pointed exchange over Al-Qaeda
in Iraq
on February 27.
, Texas
, Rhode Island
, and Vermont
. That night, Mike Huckabee
withdrew from the race and endorsed McCain.
President George W. Bush
invited Senator McCain to the White House
for Bush's endorsement.
Each state's two members of the Republican National Committee, and the party chairs of each US state and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico
, American Samoa
, Guam
, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands
are the only automatic delegates to the party's national convention. These superdelegates while officially uncommitted, may also publicly endorse a candidate.
GOP February 5 rule
Under Republican National Committee
rules, no state was allowed to hold its 2008 primary before February 5. Five states - Wyoming, New Hampshire, Michigan, South Carolina, and Florida - moved their primaries ahead and were subsequently stripped of one-half of their apportioned delegates by the RNC.
This punishment was eventually the same as Democratic procedures though that party originally decided to strip all delegates from offending states Michigan and Florida before seating half. The Republican rules did not affect Iowa, Maine, Nevada and Louisiana, because those states did not technically choose their delegates until district or state conventions that occurred after February 5. The Iowa county and state conventions were held on March 15 and June 14, 2008 respectively. The Nevada state convention was held on April 26, 2008. The Louisiana caucuses selected 105 state-delegates to the state convention on February 16 in Baton Rouge.
). With almost half the nation voting on that date it acted as a quasi-"national primary". This has also been dubbed "Super Duper Tuesday," and "Tsunami Tuesday".
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
chose its nominee for President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in the 2008 U.S. presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
was selected as the nominee through a series of primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
s and caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
es culminating in the 2008 Republican National Convention
2008 Republican National Convention
The United States 2008 Republican National Convention took place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from September 1, through September 4, 2008...
held from Monday, September 1, through Thursday, September 4, 2008, in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
In a crowded primary of several prominent Republicans eying the nomination, moderate former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
was the early front runner. However, Governor Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
won the Iowa Caucuses as he gained momentum just two months prior to the primary. Moderate U.S. Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
won the New Hampshire primary, eventually leading to Giuliani's fall, as the mayor did not win a single primary
Results of the 2008 Republican Party presidential primaries
This article contains the results of the 2008 Republican presidential primaries and caucuses.The 2008 Republican primaries are the selection processes by which the Republican Party selects delegates to attend the 2008 Republican National Convention...
.
McCain ultimately won the nomination after winning most of the primaries against Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
and Governor Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
on Super Tuesday.
Candidates
Notes for the following table: Delegate counts is the final estimated delegate count.Nominee
| Candidate | Current office | Home state | Estimated delegate count (RCP) |
Campaign status | Links | States won | States - second place | States - third place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 John McCain John McCain John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election.... |
U.S. Senator | Arizona Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix... |
72.5% |
Nominee Lost General Election November 4, 2008 |
campaign article John McCain presidential campaign, 2008 John McCain, the senior United States Senator from Arizona, launched his second candidacy for the presidency of the United States in an unsuccessful bid to win the 2008 presidential election. His candidacy, in the works for a number of years, was informally announced on February 28, 2007 during a... , campaign website |
New Hampshire New Hampshire Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 New Hampshire Republican primary took place on January 8, 2008, with 12 national delegates being allocated proportionally to the popular vote... , South Carolina South Carolina Republican primary, 2008 The South Carolina Republican primary, 2008 was held on January 19, with 24 delegates at stake. The Republican National Committee took half of South Carolina's 47 delegates away from them because the state committee moved its Republican primary before February 5... , Florida Florida Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Florida Republican primary was held on January 29, 2008, with 57 delegates at stake on a winner-take-all basis. The Republican National Committee removed half of Florida's delegates because the state committee moved its Republican primary before February 5. Arizona Senator John McCain was... , New York New York Republican primary, 2008 New York held its state presidential primary on February 5, 2008 . There were 101 delegates up for grabs for the candidates. The delegates were awarded on a winner-take-all basis, which means the winner, Arizona Senator John McCain, received all 101 delegates for the 2008 Republican National... , California California Republican primary, 2008 The California Republican primary, 2008 was held on February 5, 2008, with a total of 173 national delegates at stake.- Process :The delegates represented California at the Republican National Convention. There were three delegates to every congressional district and fourteen bonus delegates... , Illinois Illinois Republican primary, 2008 The Illinois Republican primary, 2008 was held on February 5, 2008. Illinois was one of 24 States holding a primary or caucus on Super Tuesday. Delegates from each of Illinois' 19 congressional district are selected by direct election... , Missouri Missouri Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Missouri Republican Presidential Primary on February 5, 2008 determined the recipient of 55 of the state's 58 delegates to the Republican National Convention in the process to elect the 44th President of the United States. It was an open primary... , Oklahoma Oklahoma Republican primary, 2008 The Oklahoma Republican primary, 2008 was held on February 5, with 41 delegates at stake. It was a closed primary, meaning only registered Republicans could vote in the election. The primary was on Super Tuesday on the same day as twenty-three other states... , Connecticut Connecticut Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Connecticut Republican Presidential Primary was held on February 5, 2008 as the process by which the U.S. state of Connecticut selected the recipient of 27 of the state’s 30 delegates to the Republican National Convention in the process to elect the Republican candidate for the 44th... , Arizona Arizona Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Arizona Republican primary took place on February 5, 2008, with 50 national delegates.-Results:* Includes 3 unpledged Republican National Committee delegates-See also:* Arizona Democratic primary, 2008... , New Jersey New Jersey Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 New Jersey Republican primary took place on February 5, 2008, with 52 national delegates.- Results :* Candidate dropped out of the race before the primary- See also :* New Jersey Democratic primary, 2008... , Delaware Delaware Republican primary, 2008 The Delaware Republican primary, 2008 was held on February 5 . A total of 18 delegates were selected. Senator John McCain was the declared winner of the primary election after successfully taking all three Delaware counties... , Washington Washington Republican primary, 2008 - Results :* Candidate stopped campaign before primary- See also :* Washington Republican caucuses, 2008* Republican Party presidential primaries, 2008* Washington Democratic caucuses, 2008- References :... , Virginia Virginia Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Virginia Republican primary took place on February 12, 2008. This was an open primary with 63 delegates at stake in a winner take all format... , Maryland Maryland Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Maryland Republican primary took place on February 12, 2008. The state sent 37 delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. Three delegates were awarded to the winner of each of the state's eight congressional districts; the remainder of the state's... , Wisconsin Wisconsin Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Wisconsin Primary for the Republicans was held on February 19, 2008. Polls in Wisconsin opened at 7:00 AM and closed 8:00 PM John McCain won the primary.- Polls leading up to Primary :Last 3 Poll Averages- Results :... , Vermont Vermont Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Vermont Republican primary took place on March 4, 2008. Arizona Senator John McCain was the winner of the primary.- Results :* Candidate dropped out of the race before the primary- See also :... , Rhode Island Rhode Island Republican primary, 2008 - Results :* Candidate dropped out of the race before March 4.- See also :* Republican Party presidential primaries, 2008* Rhode Island Democratic primary, 2008- References :... , Ohio Ohio Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Ohio Republican primary took place on March 4, 2008. That night, candidate John McCain secured enough delegate votes to win the Republican nomination for the 2008 U.S... , Texas Texas Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Texas Republican primary took place on March 4, 2008. John McCain won the primary election, giving him enough delegate votes to guarantee his nomination at the 2008 Republican National Convention.-Process:... , Mississippi Mississippi Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Mississippi Republican primary took place on March 11, 2008. The only candidates that were still in the race were Senator John McCain, Congressman Ron Paul, and Alan Keyes... , Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Pennsylvania Republican primary was an election held on April 22 by the Pennsylvania Department of State in which voters chose their preference for the Republican Party's candidate for the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. Voters also chose the Pennsylvania Republican Party's candidates for... , Indiana Indiana Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Indiana Republican primary took place on May 6, 2008. 27 delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention were selected in the election.In addition, 27 other delegates were selected during the state convention from June 9 to June 10, 2008.... , North Carolina North Carolina Republican primary, 2008 -Results:* Candidate dropped out of the race before the primary-See also:* North Carolina Democratic primary, 2008* Republican Party presidential primaries, 2008* Super Tuesday III, 2008-References:... , Nebraska Nebraska Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Nebraska Republican primary took place on May 13, 2008. John McCain won the primary, although he had secured his party's nomination weeks before the election through his performance in earlier primary contests.... , Hawaii Hawaii Republican caucuses, 2008 The Hawaii Republican caucuses, 2008 were held between January 25 and February 5, 2008. The caucuses chose delegates to Hawaii's Republican State Convention in May 2008, which overwhelmingly lent its support to Presidential candidate John McCain.... , Kentucky Kentucky Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Kentucky Republican primary took place on May 20, 2008. The only Republican candidates that were still in the race were Senator John McCain and Congressman Ron Paul. McCain was the presumptive Republican nominee, having already won enough delegates to secure his eventual nomination... , Oregon Oregon Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Oregon Republican primary was a mail only primary in the U.S. state of Oregon. Ballots were mailed to registered Republican voters between May 2 and May 6, 2008. To be counted, all ballots must have been received by county elections offices by 8:00 p.m. PDT on May 20, 2008... , Idaho Idaho Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Idaho Republican primary took place on May 27, 2008. John McCain won the primary, although before the election he had already won enough pledged delegates in earlier primaries to secure his nomination at the 2008 Republican National Convention.... , South Dakota South Dakota Republican primary, 2008 -Results:-See also:* South Dakota Democratic primary, 2008* Republican Party presidential primaries, 2008-References:... , New Mexico New Mexico Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 New Mexico Republican primary took place on June 3, 2008. All 29 National delegates were awarded to John McCain.- Results :- See also :* New Mexico Democratic primary, 2008* Republican Party presidential primaries, 2008... Non-states: Washington DC District of Columbia Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 District of Columbia Republican primary took place on February 12, 2008. Virginia and Maryland both held primaries on the same day, so the day's elections were collectively called "the Potomac primary"... , Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Puerto Rico Republican caucuses were held on February 24, 2008. John McCain won all 20 pledged at the Commonwealth's convention.-Results:-See also:* Puerto Rico Democratic primary, 2008... , Northern Mariana Islands Northern Mariana Islands Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Northern Mariana Islands Republican caucuses took place on February 23, 2008. John McCain won all 6 pledged at the commonwealth's convention.-Results:-References:... , American Samoa American Samoa Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 American Samoa Republican caucuses took place on February 23, 2008. John McCain won all 6 pledged at the territory's convention. McCain "campaigned" in the territory by recording an audio message to the delegates and sending it to the caucus via the Internet... , Virgin Islands United States Virgin Islands Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 United States Virgin Islands Republican Territorial Meeting, also known as the Republican caucuses, took place on the U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Croix and St. Thomas on April 5, 2008. Virgin Islands Republicans could select six pledged delegates for the 2008 Republican National... , Guam Guam Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Guam Republican caucuses, also called the Guam state convention, took place on March 8, 2008. The approximately 500 people who attended the convention chose six delegates to represent Guam at the 2008 Republican National Convention. John McCain won all six of the delegates... |
(Alabama, Arkansas, Utah, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Georgia, Tennessee, Minnesota, Colorado, North Dakota, Kansas, Louisiana) |
(Nevada, Montana, West Virginia) |
Withdrew or suspended during primaries
| Candidate | Current office | Home state | Estimated delegate count (RCP) |
Campaign status | Links | States won | States - second place | States - third place | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mike Huckabee Mike Huckabee Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won... |
Former Governor | Arkansas Arkansas Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River... |
12.8% |
Withdrew March 4, 2008 | campaign article Mike Huckabee presidential campaign, 2008 Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas, announced his candidacy for the Republican Party nomination for the 2008 presidential election in the United States on January 28, 2007... , campaign website |
(Alabama Alabama Republican primary, 2008 The Alabama Republican primary, 2008 was held on February 5 and had a total of 45 delegates at stake. The winner in each of the 7 congressional districts, Mike Huckabee, was awarded all of that district's delegates.- Results :... , Arkansas Arkansas Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Arkansas Republican primary took place on February 5, 2008, with 31 national delegates.Former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee was the winner of this Primary.-Results:... , Georgia Georgia Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Georgia Republican primary took place on February 5, 2008 , with 72 national delegates at stake. Mike Huckabee was the winner of the primary.- Results :* Candidate dropped out of the race before the primary- See also :... , Iowa Iowa Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses took place on January 4, 2008. The Iowa Republican caucuses are an unofficial primary, with the delegates to the state convention selected proportionally via a straw poll... , West Virginia West Virginia Republican caucuses, 2008 The West Virginia Republican caucuses took place on February 5, 2008 to select 18 delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention. An additional nine delegates were selected in a primary election on May 13, 2008, for a total of 27 delegates to the national convention... (caucus), Tennessee Tennessee Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Tennessee Republican primary took place on February 5, 2008 , with 52 national delegates. Mike Huckabee narrowly defeated John McCain to win the largest share of Tennessee's delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention... , Kansas Kansas Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Kansas Republican caucuses took place on February 9, 2008.By the evening of February 9, Fox News and CNN projected Mike Huckabee as the winner of the Kansas Caucuses.The Associated Press also called the race for Mike Huckabee.- Results :... , Louisiana Louisiana Republican caucuses, 2008 The Louisiana Republican caucuses, 2008 were held on January 22, 2008, and unofficial delegate assignment results have been made available on the homepage of the Republican Party of Louisiana. The official results have been released, but the results only indicate which delegates garnered the most... ) |
(South Carolina, Oklahoma, Missouri, Alaska, Washington, Virginia, Maryland, Wisconsin, Washington, Kentucky, Vermont, Rhode Island, Ohio, Texas, Mississippi, Washington DC, Northern Mariana Islands) |
(Michigan, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Illinois, Arizona, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Minnesota, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, California) |
|||||||||
 Mitt Romney Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W... |
Former Governor Governor of Massachusetts The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:... |
Massachusetts Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... |
12.5% |
Withdrew February 7, 2008 | campaign article Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2008 Mitt Romney was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election. On January 3, 2007, two days before he stepped down as governor of Massachusetts, Romney filed to form a presidential exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission... , campaign website |
(Michigan Michigan Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Michigan Republican primary took place on January 15, 2008. Mitt Romney came in first with 39 percent of the vote, followed by John McCain with 30 percent and Mike Huckabee in third-place with 16 percent... , Nevada Nevada Republican caucuses, 2008 The Nevada Republican caucuses, 2008 was held on January 19, the same day as the 2008 South Carolina Republican primary, with 31 delegates at stake. Mitt Romney was the winner in Nevada with 51% of the votes, with Ron Paul in second place. Half of Romney's votes came from Mormons, while two-thirds... (caucus), Wyoming Wyoming Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Wyoming Republican caucuses took place on January 5, 2008, with 12 national delegates chosen by county convention delegates. A majority of the national delegates were won by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney... , Maine Maine Republican caucuses, 2008 The Maine Republican caucuses, 2008 were held on February 1, February 2, and February 3 at various locations throughout the state of Maine. The results were used to apportion 21 delegates for the state... , Massachusetts Massachusetts Republican primary, 2008 The Massachusetts Republican Primary took place on February 5, 2008, with 40 national delegates. Polls indicated that former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney was leading rival John McCain; Romney ended up defeating McCain by roughly 10% of the vote.- Results :... , Montana Montana Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Montana Republican caucuses took place on February 5, 2008, with 25 national delegates.The first caucuses were scheduled for midday in Sheridan County and Judith Basin County.... (caucus), Utah Utah Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Utah Republican primary took place on February 5, 2008, with 36 national delegates. Polls showed Mitt Romney leading at up to 85% of the vote.... , Minnesota Minnesota Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Minnesota Republican caucuses took place on February 5, 2008, with 38 national delegates at stake. The caucuses were considered a non-binding straw poll, since Minnesota officially chose 24 delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention during district conventions from May 3 to May... , Colorado Colorado Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Colorado Republican caucuses took place on February 5, 2008, with 2 national delegates.Colorado chose 21 other delegates during district conventions from May 24 to June 7, 2008.-Results:-See also:* Colorado Democratic caucuses, 2008... , North Dakota North Dakota Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 North Dakota Republican caucuses took place on February 5, 2008. Romney won with 8 of the 23 national delegates.- Results :- See also :* North Dakota Democratic caucuses, 2008* Republican Party presidential primaries, 2008... , Alaska Alaska Republican caucuses, 2008 The Alaska Republican caucuses, 2008, was held on February 5 and has a total of 26 delegates at stake. Mitt Romney won the state and, as the winner in Alaska's congressional district, was awarded all of that district's delegates. All results are from the presidential preference poll held at the... ) |
(Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida, West Virginia, Illinois, New York, Arizona, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, California) |
9 (Missouri, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Maryland, Washington) >- |
 Ron Paul Ron Paul Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes... |
U.S. Representative | Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
1.6% |
Suspended June 12, 2008 | campaign article Ron Paul presidential campaign, 2008 Ron Paul was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election.Initial opinion polls during the first three quarters of 2007 showed Ron Paul consistently receiving support from 3% or less of those polled... , campaign website |
|
(Nevada, Montana, Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina, Nebraska, Oregon, Idaho, South Dakota, New Mexico, Northern Mariana Islands) |
(North Dakota, Utah, Alaska, Maine, Kansas, Washington, Virginia, Wisconsin, Vermont, Rhode Island, Ohio, Texas, Mississippi, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, Washington DC, Puerto Rico) |
| Former U.S. Senator | Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area... |
0.5% |
Withdrew January 22, 2008 | campaign article Fred Thompson presidential campaign, 2008 Fred Thompson was a Republican Party primary candidate to represent his party in the 2008 United States presidential election. Thompson has worked as a lawyer, lobbyist, and character actor, and he represented Tennessee as a Republican in the U.S... , campaign website |
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(Wyoming) |
2 (South Carolina, Iowa) >- |style="text-align:center;"|  Fred Thompson |
Former U.S. Senator | Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area... |
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Withdrew January 22, 2008 | campaign article Fred Thompson presidential campaign, 2008 Fred Thompson was a Republican Party primary candidate to represent his party in the 2008 United States presidential election. Thompson has worked as a lawyer, lobbyist, and character actor, and he represented Tennessee as a Republican in the U.S... , campaign website |
|
(Wyoming) |
2 (South Carolina, Iowa) >- |style="text-align:center;"|  Alan Keyes Alan Keyes Alan Lee Keyes is an American conservative political activist, author, former diplomat, and perennial candidate for public office. A doctoral graduate of Harvard University, Keyes began his diplomatic career in the U.S... |
Former U.S. Ambassador | Maryland Maryland Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east... |
|
Withdrew April 15, 2008 | campaign article Alan Keyes presidential campaign, 2008 Alan Keyes announced his United States Presidential candidacy, running as a Republican Party candidate, on September 14, 2007 in an interview with radio show personality Janet Parshall... , campaign website |
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| U.S. Representative | California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
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Withdrew January 19, 2008 | campaign article Duncan Hunter presidential campaign, 2008 Fourteen-term Congressman and Vietnam War veteran Duncan Hunter of California announced his intentions to run for the 2008 Republican nomination for President of the United States in January 2007. He focused his campaign on the issues of border security, trade, and the war on terrorism... , campaign website |
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(Wyoming) |
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 Rudy Giuliani Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001.... |
Former Mayor Mayor of New York City The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the... |
New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
|
Withdrew January 30, 2008 | campaign article Rudy Giuliani presidential campaign, 2008 Rudy Giuliani’s 2008 presidential campaign began following the formation of the Draft Giuliani movement in October 2005. The next year, Giuliani opened an exploratory committee and formally announced in February 2007 that he was actively seeking the presidential nomination of the Republican... , campaign website |
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(Florida) |
Calendar
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! Primary type !! Explanation
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! Closed>
! Open
! Modified open
! Caucus
! Primary
! Convention
! Presidential preference
! WTA
! Proportional
Republican candidates in the 2008 U.S. presidential election campaigned for the nomination of their party in a series of primary elections and caucus events.
Unlike the Democratic Party, which mandates a proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
for delegate selection, the Republican Party has no such limitation. For states with primaries, some states choose to use the "winner-take-all" method to allocate delegates within a state, while others do winner-take-all within a specific congressional district, and still others use the proportional process. Unlike the Democratic Party state party by-laws determine whether each delegate is pledged and for long the delegate is pledged.
In caucus states, most state parties use a two pronged process. A straw poll
Straw poll
A straw poll or straw vote is a vote with nonbinding results. Straw polls provide dialogue among movements within large groups, reflecting trends like organization and motivation...
, often called a presidential preference poll, is conducted of the attendees at the caucus. The results are released to the media and published on the state party website. Delegates are then elected to the county conventions. It is at the county conventions that delegates are elected to state conventions, and from the state convention to the national convention. At each level, delegates may be bound or unbound to a candidate. If unbound, delegates are not obligated to follow the results of the presidential preference poll. Thus, all estimates of delegates from caucus states are dependent on state party by-laws.
2007
With Vice President Dick CheneyDick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
choosing not to seek the nomination and Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
ruling herself out, the race for the 2008 presidential nomination was wide open. It officially began in March 2006 when John H. Cox
John H. Cox
John Herman Cox is an American lawyer, accountant, businessman, broadcaster, and aspiring politician. He was the first Republican to seek formally the party's 2008 nomination for president, but effectively withdrew from the race in late 2007 and suspended his campaign shortly after.-Biography:Born...
became the first candidate to enter the 2008 race. The Democratic takeover of both houses of Congress and President Bush's unpopularity were strong issues for the GOP field. At the beginning of 2007, the announced Republican field was former Governor of Wisconsin
Governor of Wisconsin
The Governor of Wisconsin is the highest executive authority in the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The position was first filled by Nelson Dewey on June 7, 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state...
and Cabinet member Tommy Thompson
Tommy Thompson
Thomas George "Tommy" Thompson , a United States Republican politician, was the 42nd Governor of Wisconsin, after which he served as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. Thompson was a candidate for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, but dropped out early after a poor performance in polls...
, former Governor of Virginia Jim Gilmore
Jim Gilmore
James Stuart "Jim" Gilmore III is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Virginia, former 68th Governor of Virginia, and a member of the Republican Party. A native Virginian, Gilmore studied at the University of Virginia, and then served in the U.S. Army as a counterintelligence agent...
, and Senator of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
Sam Brownback
Sam Brownback
Samuel Dale "Sam" Brownback is the 46th and current Governor of Kansas. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Kansas from 1996 to 2011, and as a U.S. Representative for Kansas's 2nd congressional district from 1995 to 1996...
. Former senator of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
George Allen
George Allen (U.S. politician)
George Felix Allen is a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the son of former NFL head coach George Allen. Allen served Virginia in the state legislature, as the 67th Governor, and in both bodies of the U.S. Congress, winning election to the Senate in 2000...
was considered a top contender until his loss in the midterm elections. He announced on December 10, 2006 that he would not seek the 2008 nomination. In early January former Governor of Massachusetts
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
announced he was forming an exploratory committee. Afterwards several others announced they were running, including U.S.Congressman Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
, Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
of Arkansas, Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
of New York City, U.S. Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter
Duncan Hunter
Duncan Lee Hunter is an American politician. He was a Republican member of the House of Representatives from California's 52nd, 45th and 42nd districts from 1981 to 2009....
, and U.S. Congressman Tom Tancredo
Tom Tancredo
Thomas Gerard "Tom" Tancredo is an American politician from Colorado, who represented the state's sixth congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, as a Republican...
. A poll released in early February had Giuliani leading with 32% and John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
second with 18%. By early March, Giuliani had become the frontrunner. Alan Keyes
Alan Keyes
Alan Lee Keyes is an American conservative political activist, author, former diplomat, and perennial candidate for public office. A doctoral graduate of Harvard University, Keyes began his diplomatic career in the U.S...
and former Senator and actor Fred Thompson entered the race later in September.
The first to drop out of the race was Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore
Jim Gilmore
James Stuart "Jim" Gilmore III is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Virginia, former 68th Governor of Virginia, and a member of the Republican Party. A native Virginian, Gilmore studied at the University of Virginia, and then served in the U.S. Army as a counterintelligence agent...
in July. After that Tommy Thompson
Tommy Thompson
Thomas George "Tommy" Thompson , a United States Republican politician, was the 42nd Governor of Wisconsin, after which he served as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. Thompson was a candidate for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, but dropped out early after a poor performance in polls...
also dropped out in August after finishing sixth in the Ames Iowa straw poll. Then pro-life advocate Sam Brownback
Sam Brownback
Samuel Dale "Sam" Brownback is the 46th and current Governor of Kansas. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Kansas from 1996 to 2011, and as a U.S. Representative for Kansas's 2nd congressional district from 1995 to 1996...
dropped out of the race in October. In December, staunch illegal-immigration opponent Tom Tancredo
Tom Tancredo
Thomas Gerard "Tom" Tancredo is an American politician from Colorado, who represented the state's sixth congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, as a Republican...
and businessman John H. Cox
John H. Cox
John Herman Cox is an American lawyer, accountant, businessman, broadcaster, and aspiring politician. He was the first Republican to seek formally the party's 2008 nomination for president, but effectively withdrew from the race in late 2007 and suspended his campaign shortly after.-Biography:Born...
also left the race.
Iowa and New Hampshire
Iowa caucus
The Iowa caucuses are an electoral event in which residents of the U.S. state of Iowa meet in precinct caucuses in all of Iowa's 1784 precincts and elect delegates to the corresponding county conventions. There are 99 counties in Iowa and thus 99 conventions...
began. The final averaged results from Real Clear Politics showed Mike Huckabee at 30%, Romney at 27%, McCain and Thompson tied at 12%, Paul at 7%, and Giuliani at 6%. Among those surveyed in Exit Polling data, 45% cited themselves as very conservative and voted for Huckabee 35% to Romney's 23% and Thompson's 22%. Among those who called themselves "somewhat conservative" (43%), Huckabee won 34% to Romney's 27% and McCain's 18%.
Final Results showed Huckabee swept much of the state with the exception of the western and eastern portions of the state which included Davenport
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
, as well as Sioux City
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
. Romney swept the eastern and western portions of the state and Paul took one southern county. The final results in Iowa were Huckabee with 34%, Romney with 25%, Thompson and McCain each with 13%, Paul with 10% and Giuliani with 4%.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
was known by many in New Hampshire and even owned a home in the state of New Hampshire. Pre-Primary polling showed McCain with a slight edge (32%-28%)with Huckabee leading Giuliani for third (12%-9%).
On Primary night, McCain won 37%-32% and Huckabee beat Giuliani for third 11%-9%. After the results, Huckabee decided to focus on the South Carolina primary, while both McCain and Romney went to Michigan where polls showed a competitive race between the two.
Michigan
With different winners in Iowa and New Hampshire - and Mitt Romney taking the lower-profile Wyoming caucus - the January 15 Michigan primary loomed as an important battle. Polls after New Hampshire showed a tight race between McCain and Romney, with Huckabee a close third. Many saw Michigan as Romney's last chance for a campaign-saving win after disappointments in the first two races. Others said that a win in Michigan could cement McCain's status as the "front-runner" for the nomination. McCain's campaign garnered about $1 million in newly contributed funds immediately after the New Hampshire win, but still had $3.5 million in bank debt. He was not alone in feeling a financial pinch; the entire Republican field suffered from a lack of enthusiasm and lower donations than the Democratic candidates were getting; by comparison, Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
received $6 million in new funds immediately after her New Hampshire win.
Nevertheless, some polls showed McCain getting a significant national bounce from his New Hampshire win; the January 11 CNN nationwide poll had him at 34 percent support, a 21-point increase from where he had been just a month before, and a significant lead over follow-upers Huckabee (21 percent) and Giuliani (18 percent). As the Michigan race entered its final days, McCain gained some notoriety by sending out mailers there and in South Carolina attacking Romney's tax record and touting his own. A Romney campaign spokesman called the ad "as sloppy as it is factually incorrect", and FactCheck.org called the piece "misleading." McCain responded by saying, "It's not negative campaigning. I think it's what his record is." "It's a tough business," he added.
The dominant issue in Michigan was the state of the economy. Michigan had by far the nation's largest unemployment rate, at 7.4 percent, and was continuing to lose jobs from its historical manufacturing base. McCain offered a bit of his "straight talk", saying that "There are some jobs that aren't coming back to Michigan," and proposing federal job training plans and other remedies to compensate. Romney seized on McCain's statement as overly pessimistic and promoted instead his family heritage — "[I've] got the automobile industry in my blood veins" — as well as his being a Washington outsider who would go there and "turn Washington inside out."
In the end, McCain finished second in the primary behind Romney, gaining 30 percent of the vote to Romney's 39 percent.
Nevada and South Carolina
Mitt Romney was heavily favored to win Nevada, leading 34% to 19% in polls. He exceeded expectations, earning 51% of the vote with Ron PaulRon Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
beating out John McCain for second. Romney campaigned hard in Nevada and did not campaign in South Carolina, while the other leading Republican candidates, John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
and Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
, kept their focus on South Carolina. Nevada was not subject to the Republican party cutting in half the number of delegates the state can send to the national convention, and neither was South Carolina. However, Nevada had more delegates at stake than South Carolina. A win in Nevada extended Romney's lead in total delegates. Nevada's large Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
population helped Romney win the state.
On January 17, Ron Paul's Nevada campaign representatives warned state GOP officials that thousands of caucus goers had been given incorrect information on where to go to caucus. The problem was fixed - via a message on the Nevada GOP website - that morning, two days before the caucus.
After coming last in this caucus, Duncan Hunter
Duncan Hunter
Duncan Lee Hunter is an American politician. He was a Republican member of the House of Representatives from California's 52nd, 45th and 42nd districts from 1981 to 2009....
withdrew his bid for the nomination.
Mike Huckabee needed to win South Carolina for his campaign to remain viable. RealClearPolitics
RealClearPolitics
RealClearPolitics is a political news and polling data aggregator based in Chicago, Illinois. The site's founders say their goal is to give readers "ideological diversity." They have described themselves as frustrated with what they perceive as anti-conservative, anti-Christian media bias, and...
reported that the average support from polls placed McCain in the lead with 26.9%, followed by Huckabee with 25.9%, Romney with 14.7%, Thompson with 14.6%, Paul with 4.4%, and Giuliani with 3.4%. Thompson started attacking Mike Huckabee heavily, questioning his conservative credentials. But in the end McCain narrowly won by 14,743 or 3%, putting McCain as the frontrunner in Florida.
Florida
Rudy GiulianiRudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
campaigned quite heavily in Florida, which he expected to use as his "launch pad" for a "strong showing" on Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday
In the United States, Super Tuesday, in general, refers to the Tuesday in February or March of a presidential election year when the greatest number of states hold primary elections to select delegates to national conventions at which each party's presidential candidates are officially nominated...
. He campaigned almost entirely in Florida, and largely ignored South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
and other states voting before February 5. Polls taken before the primary showed that John McCain was the slight front runner over Mitt Romney. Giuliani had been campaigning with virtually no opposition; however, following the South Carolina Republican primary, 2008
South Carolina Republican primary, 2008
The South Carolina Republican primary, 2008 was held on January 19, with 24 delegates at stake. The Republican National Committee took half of South Carolina's 47 delegates away from them because the state committee moved its Republican primary before February 5...
, several candidates flew down to Florida to begin campaigning up to January 29 when the primary occurred. RealClearPolitics
RealClearPolitics
RealClearPolitics is a political news and polling data aggregator based in Chicago, Illinois. The site's founders say their goal is to give readers "ideological diversity." They have described themselves as frustrated with what they perceive as anti-conservative, anti-Christian media bias, and...
reported that the average support from polls taken in the days immediately prior to primary day placed McCain slightly in the lead with 30.7%, followed by Romney with 30.1%, Giuliani with 14.7%, Huckabee with 12.9%, and Paul with 3.6%. Former Senator Fred Thompson and Rep. Duncan Hunter
Duncan Hunter
Duncan Lee Hunter is an American politician. He was a Republican member of the House of Representatives from California's 52nd, 45th and 42nd districts from 1981 to 2009....
, though already out of the race, still remained on the ballot in the Florida primary.
Super Tuesday
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
and began campaigning with him. This was a key endorsement, as California was one of the Super Tuesday states and had more delegates than any other state. The same day, Governor Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
of Texas threw his support behind McCain. Perry had previously been a Giuliani supporter, while Schwarzenegger had refrained from endorsing either McCain or Giuliani because he counted both men as friends. Meanwhile, Romney, still burning about McCain's misleading Iraq withdrawal timetable charge, compared McCain to disgraced former President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, saying that McCain's claim was “reminiscent of the Nixon era” and that “I don’t think I want to see our party go back to that kind of campaigning.”
McCain won his home state of Arizona, taking all 53 of the state's delegates and the largest of the Super Tuesday prizes, winning nearly all of California's 173 delegates. McCain also scored wins in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Oklahoma. Huckabee also made surprise wins in states he had polled behind in previously like Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. Huckabee also won the first contest of Super Tuesday in West Virginia. Romney won his home state of Massachusetts. He also won Utah, Colorado, and Minnesota.
The next day, McCain appeared confident that he would be the Republican nominee. Estimates showed him with 707 delegates - nearly 60% of the total needed to win the nomination. He began to appeal to disaffected conservatives, saying ""We share the common principles and values and ideas for the future of this country based on a fundamental conservative political philosophy, which has been my record." He also suggested that the right wing of the party "calm down a little bit" and begin to look for areas of agreement. Meanwhile, Romney advisers privately expressed doubts about whether their candidate could realistically hope to defeat McCain, and it was unclear if Romney would spend significant money on key February 12 contests in Virginia and Maryland.
Later February contests
Both McCain and Romney addressed the Conservative Political Action ConferenceConservative Political Action Conference
The Conservative Political Action Conference is an annual political conference attended by conservative activists and elected officials from across the United States....
(CPAC) in Washington, DC on February 7, while Mike Huckabee spoke on February 9. Romney used his speech to announce the end of his campaign, saying, "Now if I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention -- (cheers, applause). I want you to know I've given this a lot of thought. I'd forestall the launch of a national campaign and, frankly, I'd be making it easier for Senator Clinton or Obama to win. Frankly, in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror." McCain spoke about an hour later, again appealing to right-wing uncertainty about his ideology.
He focused on his opposition to abortion and gun control, as well as his support for lower taxes and free-market health care solutions. He told the CPAC audience that he arrived in Washington as "a foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution
Reagan Administration
The United States presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan administration, was a Republican administration headed by Ronald Reagan from January 20, 1981, to January 20, 1989....
", and addressed the issue of illegal immigration - one of the major issues where conservatives have attacked McCain. He said that "it would be among my highest priorities to secure our borders first", before addressing other immigration laws. Mike Huckabee spoke to CPAC two days later and said, "I know that there was some speculation that I might come here today to announce that I would be getting out of the race. But I want to make sure you understand. Am I quitting? Well, let's get that settled right now. No, I'm not. And the reason is simple—I never learned arithmetic. You see folks, while I didn't get a college degree in mathematics and writing, I majored in miracles. Mathematically impossible miracles. It is because I go back to that which helped crystallize in me a conservative viewpoint as a teenager when it wasn't easy or popular to be a Republican or a conservative in my hometown, because I do believe that America is about making choices, not simply echoing that of others. Let others join the "Me, too" crowd. But I didn't get where I am today and I didn't fight the battles in a state that, when I became its governor, was 90 percent Democrat, by simply echoing the voices of others. I did it by staking out a choice, stating that choice, making that choice and fighting for that choice, to believe that some things were right, some things were wrong, and it's better to be right and even to not win than it is to be wrong and to be a part of the crowd."
February 9 saw voting in Louisiana
Louisiana Republican primary, 2008
The 2008 Louisiana Republican primary took place on February 9, 2008.Under Louisiana Republican Party rules, since no candidate received a majority of the vote, no delegates are pledged as a result of this primary. 21 delegates have already indirectly been assigned via the Louisiana Republican...
, Kansas
Kansas Republican caucuses, 2008
The 2008 Kansas Republican caucuses took place on February 9, 2008.By the evening of February 9, Fox News and CNN projected Mike Huckabee as the winner of the Kansas Caucuses.The Associated Press also called the race for Mike Huckabee.- Results :...
and Washington
Washington Republican caucuses, 2008
The 2008 Washington Republican Caucuses were held on Saturday February 9, 2008. Voting in Washington's caucuses closed at 9:00 p.m. EST.The Washington Republican Party declared John McCain the winner on the night of the election, after 87% of the votes were counted. Mike Huckabee disputed the...
state. Huckabee won an easy victory in Kansas, claiming all 36 of the state's delegates to the national convention. Only 14,016 votes were cast, and the McCain campaign expressed no concern over the lightly attended caucus. However, social conservatives had a strong presence in the Kansas Republican party, and the results served to highlight conservative dissatisfaction with the Senator. Louisiana was much closer, but Huckabee won there as well, beating McCain by less than one percentage point. McCain was declared the winner of the Washington caucuses, where 18 delegates were at stake. The February 19 primary would determine the other 19 delegates from the state. When McCain was declared the winner of the caucuses, with a lead of only 242 (3,468 to 3,226) over Huckabee and counting stopped with only 87% of the precincts reporting, Huckabee's campaign indicated that they would challenge the results.
Next up was the Potomac primary
Potomac primary
The Potomac primary , also called Chesapeake Tuesday, the Beltway primary, and the Crabcake primary, was the confluence of three Democratic presidential primaries and three Republican presidential primaries which took place on February 12, 2008.- Republican primaries :*District of Columbia...
on February 12, with voting in Virginia
Virginia Republican primary, 2008
The 2008 Virginia Republican primary took place on February 12, 2008. This was an open primary with 63 delegates at stake in a winner take all format...
, Maryland
Maryland Republican primary, 2008
The 2008 Maryland Republican primary took place on February 12, 2008. The state sent 37 delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. Three delegates were awarded to the winner of each of the state's eight congressional districts; the remainder of the state's...
and the District of Columbia
District of Columbia Republican primary, 2008
The 2008 District of Columbia Republican primary took place on February 12, 2008. Virginia and Maryland both held primaries on the same day, so the day's elections were collectively called "the Potomac primary"...
. McCain swept the three races and took all 113 delegates which were at stake.
The next day, the McCain camp released a memo calling a Huckabee win "mathematically impossible." In truth, however, it was not impossible. In fact, if Huckabee failed to reach 1191 delegates but succeeded in keeping McCain from reaching 1191, then the result would have been a brokered convention.
With the media declaring McCain the "presumptive nominee", McCain began to focus on the Democrats, particularly leading candidate Barack Obama, in anticipation of the general election.
The day after McCain's Potomac sweep, the Kansas City Star published a list of people who have been mentioned as possible McCain running mates
United States Republican vice presidential candidates, 2008
This article lists those who were potential candidates for the Republican nomination for Vice President of the United States in the 2008 election. On March 4, 2008, Senator John McCain of Arizona won a majority of pledged delegates for the Republican nomination for President of the United States,...
, if he secured the nomination.
On February 14, Mitt Romney officially endorsed McCain and asked his approximately 280 delegates to support him at the national convention. If all or most of Romney's delegates backed McCain, it would give him nearly enough to win the nomination, with several large states still yet to vote. Despite these developments, Huckabee vowed to stay in the race. "I may get beat, but I’m not going to quit," he said. A few days later, McCain was endorsed by former President George H.W. Bush, in a move intended to shore up his support among base party elements.
On February 19, McCain continued his winning ways, picking up wins over Huckabee in the Wisconsin primary
Wisconsin Republican primary, 2008
The 2008 Wisconsin Primary for the Republicans was held on February 19, 2008. Polls in Wisconsin opened at 7:00 AM and closed 8:00 PM John McCain won the primary.- Polls leading up to Primary :Last 3 Poll Averages- Results :...
and the Washington state primary
Washington Republican primary, 2008
- Results :* Candidate stopped campaign before primary- See also :* Washington Republican caucuses, 2008* Republican Party presidential primaries, 2008* Washington Democratic caucuses, 2008- References :...
. McCain and Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
engaged in a pointed exchange over Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
on February 27.
March contests
CNN had cancelled a debate originally scheduled for February 28, saying that McCain was the "presumptive nominee." Mike Huckabee challenged John McCain to a debate before the March 4 primaries, and the Values Voter coalition came through in the clutch, arranging for a debate hall and inviting both McCain and Huckabee, as well as Rep Ron Paul to participate in a March 3 debate event. After Governor Huckabee had accepted the invitation, Senator McCain said that he had a prior commitment and begged off. Huckabee had previous success with rural and Evangelical Christian voters. Huckabee was endorsed by Dr. James Dobson. McCain received an endorsement from Pastor John Hagee (which he later renounced on May 22). On March fourth, Super Tuesday 2, McCain managed to win a large number of Evangelical voters along with his usual independent and veteran supporters. John McCain officially clinched the Republican presidential nomination on March 4, 2008, sweeping the primaries in OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, and Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. That night, Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
withdrew from the race and endorsed McCain.
President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
invited Senator McCain to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
for Bush's endorsement.
Endorsements
Unlike in the Democratic Party, Republican members of Congress (including Senate members, House members, and non-voting delegates), and state governors are not automatically made delegates to the party's national convention, however their endorsements can hold sway on voters in caucuses and primaries.Each state's two members of the Republican National Committee, and the party chairs of each US state and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
are the only automatic delegates to the party's national convention. These superdelegates while officially uncommitted, may also publicly endorse a candidate.
Early primaries and caucuses
| Date | State | Type | District level delegates | At-large delegates | State party delegates | Bonus delegates | Total size of delegation | Delegate selection process |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 3, 2008 | Iowa Iowa Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New... |
caucus Iowa Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses took place on January 4, 2008. The Iowa Republican caucuses are an unofficial primary, with the delegates to the state convention selected proportionally via a straw poll... |
15 | 10 | 3 | 12 | 40 | County/state convention |
| January 5, 2008 | Wyoming Wyoming Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High... |
convention | 3 | 10 | 3 | 12 | 12/28 [12/14] Note | County/state convention |
| January 8, 2008 | New Hampshire New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian... |
primary New Hampshire Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 New Hampshire Republican primary took place on January 8, 2008, with 12 national delegates being allocated proportionally to the popular vote... |
6 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 24 [12] Note | Statewide proportional |
| January 15, 2008 | Michigan Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake".... |
primary Michigan Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Michigan Republican primary took place on January 15, 2008. Mitt Romney came in first with 39 percent of the vote, followed by John McCain with 30 percent and Mike Huckabee in third-place with 16 percent... |
45 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 60 [30] Note | District-level winner-take-all (WTA) + at-large/bonus proportional |
| January 19, 2008 | Nevada Nevada Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its... |
caucus Nevada Republican caucuses, 2008 The Nevada Republican caucuses, 2008 was held on January 19, the same day as the 2008 South Carolina Republican primary, with 31 delegates at stake. Mitt Romney was the winner in Nevada with 51% of the votes, with Ron Paul in second place. Half of Romney's votes came from Mormons, while two-thirds... |
9 | 10 | 3 | 12 | 34 | County/state convention |
| South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence... |
primary, open South Carolina Republican primary, 2008 The South Carolina Republican primary, 2008 was held on January 19, with 24 delegates at stake. The Republican National Committee took half of South Carolina's 47 delegates away from them because the state committee moved its Republican primary before February 5... |
18 | 10 | 3 | 16 | 47 [24] Note | District-level WTA + at-large/bonus WTA | |
| January 22, 2008 | Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties... |
caucus, closed non-binding, just selection of district delegates Louisiana Republican caucuses, 2008 The Louisiana Republican caucuses, 2008 were held on January 22, 2008, and unofficial delegate assignment results have been made available on the homepage of the Republican Party of Louisiana. The official results have been released, but the results only indicate which delegates garnered the most... |
21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21/57 | District by state convention + at-large/bonus by state convention unless 50%+ threshold met. Non-binding caucus to avoid stripping. |
| January 25-February 5, 2008 | Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... |
caucus, closed Hawaii Republican caucuses, 2008 The Hawaii Republican caucuses, 2008 were held between January 25 and February 5, 2008. The caucuses chose delegates to Hawaii's Republican State Convention in May 2008, which overwhelmingly lent its support to Presidential candidate John McCain.... |
6 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 20 | state convention |
| January 29, 2008 | Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... |
primary, closed Florida Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Florida Republican primary was held on January 29, 2008, with 57 delegates at stake on a winner-take-all basis. The Republican National Committee removed half of Florida's delegates because the state committee moved its Republican primary before February 5. Arizona Senator John McCain was... |
75 | 10 | 3 | 26 | 114 [57] Note | Statewide WTA |
| February 1-February 3, 2008 | Maine Maine Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost... |
caucus, closed Maine Republican caucuses, 2008 The Maine Republican caucuses, 2008 were held on February 1, February 2, and February 3 at various locations throughout the state of Maine. The results were used to apportion 21 delegates for the state... |
6 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 21 | District/state convention |
GOP February 5 rule
Under Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
rules, no state was allowed to hold its 2008 primary before February 5. Five states - Wyoming, New Hampshire, Michigan, South Carolina, and Florida - moved their primaries ahead and were subsequently stripped of one-half of their apportioned delegates by the RNC.
This punishment was eventually the same as Democratic procedures though that party originally decided to strip all delegates from offending states Michigan and Florida before seating half. The Republican rules did not affect Iowa, Maine, Nevada and Louisiana, because those states did not technically choose their delegates until district or state conventions that occurred after February 5. The Iowa county and state conventions were held on March 15 and June 14, 2008 respectively. The Nevada state convention was held on April 26, 2008. The Louisiana caucuses selected 105 state-delegates to the state convention on February 16 in Baton Rouge.
Super Tuesday
Many states moved the dates of their primaries or caucuses up to February 5 (Super TuesdaySuper Tuesday, 2008
Super Tuesday 2008, Super Duper Tuesday, Mega Tuesday, Giga Tuesday, Tsunami Tuesday, and The Tuesday of Destiny are names for February 5, 2008, the day on which the largest simultaneous number of state U.S. presidential primary elections in the history of U.S. primaries were held...
). With almost half the nation voting on that date it acted as a quasi-"national primary". This has also been dubbed "Super Duper Tuesday," and "Tsunami Tuesday".
| State | Type | District-level delegates | At-large delegates | State party delegates | Bonus delegates | Total size of delegation | Delegate selection process |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Alabama Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland... |
primary, open Alabama Republican primary, 2008 The Alabama Republican primary, 2008 was held on February 5 and had a total of 45 delegates at stake. The winner in each of the 7 congressional districts, Mike Huckabee, was awarded all of that district's delegates.- Results :... |
21 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 48 | modified WTA district + proportional at-large/bonus |
| Alaska Alaska Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait... |
caucus, closed Alaska Republican caucuses, 2008 The Alaska Republican caucuses, 2008, was held on February 5 and has a total of 26 delegates at stake. Mitt Romney won the state and, as the winner in Alaska's congressional district, was awarded all of that district's delegates. All results are from the presidential preference poll held at the... |
3 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 29 | District/state convention |
| Arizona Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix... |
presidential preference election | 24 | 10 | 3 | 16 | 53 | Statewide WTA |
| Arkansas Arkansas Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River... |
primary, open Arkansas Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Arkansas Republican primary took place on February 5, 2008, with 31 national delegates.Former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee was the winner of this Primary.-Results:... |
12 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 34 | modified WTA district + proportional at-large/bonus (WTA if 50%+) |
| California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
primary, closed California Republican primary, 2008 The California Republican primary, 2008 was held on February 5, 2008, with a total of 173 national delegates at stake.- Process :The delegates represented California at the Republican National Convention. There were three delegates to every congressional district and fourteen bonus delegates... |
159 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 173 | WTA district + WTA at-large/bonus |
| Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... |
caucus, closed Colorado Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Colorado Republican caucuses took place on February 5, 2008, with 2 national delegates.Colorado chose 21 other delegates during district conventions from May 24 to June 7, 2008.-Results:-See also:* Colorado Democratic caucuses, 2008... |
21 | 10 | 3 | 12 | 46 | district/state convention |
| Connecticut Connecticut Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately... |
primary, closed Connecticut Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Connecticut Republican Presidential Primary was held on February 5, 2008 as the process by which the U.S. state of Connecticut selected the recipient of 27 of the state’s 30 delegates to the Republican National Convention in the process to elect the Republican candidate for the 44th... |
15 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 30 | Statewide WTA |
| Delaware Delaware Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania... |
primary, closed Delaware Republican primary, 2008 The Delaware Republican primary, 2008 was held on February 5 . A total of 18 delegates were selected. Senator John McCain was the declared winner of the primary election after successfully taking all three Delaware counties... |
3 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 18 | Statewide WTA |
| Georgia Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788... |
primary, open Georgia Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Georgia Republican primary took place on February 5, 2008 , with 72 national delegates at stake. Mike Huckabee was the winner of the primary.- Results :* Candidate dropped out of the race before the primary- See also :... |
39 | 10 | 3 | 20 | 72 | WTA district + WTA at-large/bonus |
| Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
presidential preference primary+delegate election, open Illinois Republican primary, 2008 The Illinois Republican primary, 2008 was held on February 5, 2008. Illinois was one of 24 States holding a primary or caucus on Super Tuesday. Delegates from each of Illinois' 19 congressional district are selected by direct election... |
57 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 70 | District delegate election + unpledged state delegates |
| Massachusetts Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... |
primary, modified open Massachusetts Republican primary, 2008 The Massachusetts Republican Primary took place on February 5, 2008, with 40 national delegates. Polls indicated that former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney was leading rival John McCain; Romney ended up defeating McCain by roughly 10% of the vote.- Results :... |
30 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 43 | statewide proportional |
| Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state... |
caucus, open Minnesota Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Minnesota Republican caucuses took place on February 5, 2008, with 38 national delegates at stake. The caucuses were considered a non-binding straw poll, since Minnesota officially chose 24 delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention during district conventions from May 3 to May... |
24 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 41 | BPOU/district/state convention |
| Missouri Missouri Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It... |
primary, open Missouri Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Missouri Republican Presidential Primary on February 5, 2008 determined the recipient of 55 of the state's 58 delegates to the Republican National Convention in the process to elect the 44th President of the United States. It was an open primary... |
27 | 10 | 3 | 18 | 58 | statewide WTA |
| Montana Montana Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,... |
invited caucus Montana Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Montana Republican caucuses took place on February 5, 2008, with 25 national delegates.The first caucuses were scheduled for midday in Sheridan County and Judith Basin County.... |
3 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 25 | Statewide WTA |
| New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware... |
primary, modified open New Jersey Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 New Jersey Republican primary took place on February 5, 2008, with 52 national delegates.- Results :* Candidate dropped out of the race before the primary- See also :* New Jersey Democratic primary, 2008... |
39 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 52 | Statewide WTA |
| New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
primary, closed New York Republican primary, 2008 New York held its state presidential primary on February 5, 2008 . There were 101 delegates up for grabs for the candidates. The delegates were awarded on a winner-take-all basis, which means the winner, Arizona Senator John McCain, received all 101 delegates for the 2008 Republican National... |
87 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 101 | Statewide WTA |
| North Dakota North Dakota North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S.... |
caucus, closed North Dakota Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 North Dakota Republican caucuses took place on February 5, 2008. Romney won with 8 of the 23 national delegates.- Results :- See also :* North Dakota Democratic caucuses, 2008* Republican Party presidential primaries, 2008... |
3 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 26 | Statewide Proportional |
| Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state... |
primary, closed Oklahoma Republican primary, 2008 The Oklahoma Republican primary, 2008 was held on February 5, with 41 delegates at stake. It was a closed primary, meaning only registered Republicans could vote in the election. The primary was on Super Tuesday on the same day as twenty-three other states... |
15 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 41 | district WTA + at-large/bonus WTA |
| Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area... |
primary, open Tennessee Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Tennessee Republican primary took place on February 5, 2008 , with 52 national delegates. Mike Huckabee narrowly defeated John McCain to win the largest share of Tennessee's delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention... |
27 | 10 | 3 | 15 | 55 | District proportional (WTA 50%+) + At-large/bonus proportional (WTA 50%+) |
| Utah Utah Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the... |
primary, modified open Utah Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Utah Republican primary took place on February 5, 2008, with 36 national delegates. Polls showed Mitt Romney leading at up to 85% of the vote.... |
9 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 36 | Statewide WTA |
| West Virginia West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east... |
convention, modified open West Virginia Republican caucuses, 2008 The West Virginia Republican caucuses took place on February 5, 2008 to select 18 delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention. An additional nine delegates were selected in a primary election on May 13, 2008, for a total of 27 delegates to the national convention... |
9 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 18/30 | multiple ballot WTA |
| Totals | 627 | 210 | 63 | 181 | 1,069/1,081 | ||
After Super Tuesday
| Date | State | Type | District-Level Delegates | At-Large Delegates | State Party Delegates | Bonus Delegates | Total Size of Delegation | Delegate Selection Process |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 9, 2008 | Kansas Kansas Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south... |
caucus, closed Kansas Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Kansas Republican caucuses took place on February 9, 2008.By the evening of February 9, Fox News and CNN projected Mike Huckabee as the winner of the Kansas Caucuses.The Associated Press also called the race for Mike Huckabee.- Results :... |
12 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 39 | district WTA + at-large/state party/bonus WTA |
| Washington | caucus Washington Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Washington Republican Caucuses were held on Saturday February 9, 2008. Voting in Washington's caucuses closed at 9:00 p.m. EST.The Washington Republican Party declared John McCain the winner on the night of the election, after 87% of the votes were counted. Mike Huckabee disputed the... |
27 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 18 of 40 | county/state convention | |
| Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties... |
primary Louisiana Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Louisiana Republican primary took place on February 9, 2008.Under Louisiana Republican Party rules, since no candidate received a majority of the vote, no delegates are pledged as a result of this primary. 21 delegates have already indirectly been assigned via the Louisiana Republican... |
0 | 20 | 3 | 13 | 20 of 57 | WTA if 50%+ threshold met, otherwise uncommitted | |
| February 12, 2008 | District of Columbia | primary District of Columbia Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 District of Columbia Republican primary took place on February 12, 2008. Virginia and Maryland both held primaries on the same day, so the day's elections were collectively called "the Potomac primary"... |
0 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 19 | DC-wide WTA |
| Maryland Maryland Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east... |
primary Maryland Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Maryland Republican primary took place on February 12, 2008. The state sent 37 delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. Three delegates were awarded to the winner of each of the state's eight congressional districts; the remainder of the state's... |
24 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 37 | District WTA + at-large WTA | |
| Virginia Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... |
primary Virginia Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Virginia Republican primary took place on February 12, 2008. This was an open primary with 63 delegates at stake in a winner take all format... |
33 | 10 | 3 | 17 | 63 | Statewide WTA | |
| February 19, 2008 | Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is... |
primary Wisconsin Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Wisconsin Primary for the Republicans was held on February 19, 2008. Polls in Wisconsin opened at 7:00 AM and closed 8:00 PM John McCain won the primary.- Polls leading up to Primary :Last 3 Poll Averages- Results :... |
24 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 40 | district WTA + at-large/bonus/party WTA |
| Washington | primary Washington Republican primary, 2008 - Results :* Candidate stopped campaign before primary- See also :* Washington Republican caucuses, 2008* Republican Party presidential primaries, 2008* Washington Democratic caucuses, 2008- References :... |
27 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 19 of 40 | district WTA + proportional at-large | |
| February 23, 2008 | American Samoa American Samoa American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa... |
caucus American Samoa Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 American Samoa Republican caucuses took place on February 23, 2008. John McCain won all 6 pledged at the territory's convention. McCain "campaigned" in the territory by recording an audio message to the delegates and sending it to the caucus via the Internet... |
0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 | county/state convention |
| Northern Mariana Islands Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines... |
caucus Northern Mariana Islands Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Northern Mariana Islands Republican caucuses took place on February 23, 2008. John McCain won all 6 pledged at the commonwealth's convention.-Results:-References:... |
0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 | county/state convention | |
| February 24, 2008 | Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an... |
caucus Puerto Rico Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Puerto Rico Republican caucuses were held on February 24, 2008. John McCain won all 20 pledged at the Commonwealth's convention.-Results:-See also:* Puerto Rico Democratic primary, 2008... |
0 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 23 | Puerto Rico-wide WTA |
| March 4, 2008 | Ohio Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... |
primary Ohio Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Ohio Republican primary took place on March 4, 2008. That night, candidate John McCain secured enough delegate votes to win the Republican nomination for the 2008 U.S... |
54 | 10 | 3 | 21 | 88 | District WTA + at-large WTA |
| Rhode Island Rhode Island The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area... |
primary Rhode Island Republican primary, 2008 - Results :* Candidate dropped out of the race before March 4.- See also :* Republican Party presidential primaries, 2008* Rhode Island Democratic primary, 2008- References :... |
6 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 20 | Delegate names on ballot | |
| Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
open primary Texas Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Texas Republican primary took place on March 4, 2008. John McCain won the primary election, giving him enough delegate votes to guarantee his nomination at the 2008 Republican National Convention.-Process:... |
96 | 10 | 3 | 31 | 140 | district modified WTA + statewide WTA if 50%+ | |
| Vermont Vermont Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England... |
primary Vermont Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Vermont Republican primary took place on March 4, 2008. Arizona Senator John McCain was the winner of the primary.- Results :* Candidate dropped out of the race before the primary- See also :... |
3 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 17 | Statewide WTA | |
| March 8, 2008 | Guam Guam Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United... |
caucus Guam Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 Guam Republican caucuses, also called the Guam state convention, took place on March 8, 2008. The approximately 500 people who attended the convention chose six delegates to represent Guam at the 2008 Republican National Convention. John McCain won all six of the delegates... |
0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 | county/state convention |
| March 11, 2008 | Mississippi Mississippi Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi... |
primary Mississippi Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Mississippi Republican primary took place on March 11, 2008. The only candidates that were still in the race were Senator John McCain, Congressman Ron Paul, and Alan Keyes... |
12 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 39 | District WTA + at-large/bonus WTA |
| April 5, 2008 | U.S. Virgin Islands | caucus United States Virgin Islands Republican caucuses, 2008 The 2008 United States Virgin Islands Republican Territorial Meeting, also known as the Republican caucuses, took place on the U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Croix and St. Thomas on April 5, 2008. Virgin Islands Republicans could select six pledged delegates for the 2008 Republican National... |
0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 | county/state convention |
| April 22, 2008 | Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... |
primary Pennsylvania Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Pennsylvania Republican primary was an election held on April 22 by the Pennsylvania Department of State in which voters chose their preference for the Republican Party's candidate for the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. Voters also chose the Pennsylvania Republican Party's candidates for... |
57 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 74 | district delegate selection + unpledged at-large/party delegates |
| May 6, 2008 | Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is... |
primary Indiana Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Indiana Republican primary took place on May 6, 2008. 27 delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention were selected in the election.In addition, 27 other delegates were selected during the state convention from June 9 to June 10, 2008.... |
27 | 10 | 3 | 17 | 57 | |
| North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... |
primary North Carolina Republican primary, 2008 -Results:* Candidate dropped out of the race before the primary-See also:* North Carolina Democratic primary, 2008* Republican Party presidential primaries, 2008* Super Tuesday III, 2008-References:... |
39 | 10 | 3 | 17 | 69 | ||
| May 13, 2008 | Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River.... |
primary Nebraska Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Nebraska Republican primary took place on May 13, 2008. John McCain won the primary, although he had secured his party's nomination weeks before the election through his performance in earlier primary contests.... |
9 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 33 | |
| May 20, 2008 | Kentucky Kentucky The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth... |
primary Kentucky Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Kentucky Republican primary took place on May 20, 2008. The only Republican candidates that were still in the race were Senator John McCain and Congressman Ron Paul. McCain was the presumptive Republican nominee, having already won enough delegates to secure his eventual nomination... |
18 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 45 | |
| Oregon Oregon Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern... |
primary Oregon Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Oregon Republican primary was a mail only primary in the U.S. state of Oregon. Ballots were mailed to registered Republican voters between May 2 and May 6, 2008. To be counted, all ballots must have been received by county elections offices by 8:00 p.m. PDT on May 20, 2008... |
15 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 30 | ||
| May 27, 2008 | Idaho Idaho Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state.... |
primary Idaho Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Idaho Republican primary took place on May 27, 2008. John McCain won the primary, although before the election he had already won enough pledged delegates in earlier primaries to secure his nomination at the 2008 Republican National Convention.... |
6 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 32 | |
| June 3, 2008 | South Dakota South Dakota South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over... |
primary South Dakota Republican primary, 2008 -Results:-See also:* South Dakota Democratic primary, 2008* Republican Party presidential primaries, 2008-References:... |
3 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 27 | |
| New Mexico New Mexico New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S... |
primary New Mexico Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 New Mexico Republican primary took place on June 3, 2008. All 29 National delegates were awarded to John McCain.- Results :- See also :* New Mexico Democratic primary, 2008* Republican Party presidential primaries, 2008... |
9 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 32 | ||
| 988 |