New York voters choose Clinton, McCain

Race for Democratic candidate tightens

By FRITZ MAYER

NEW YORK STATE — In what was generally considered heavy voter turnout across the state, New York voters went to the polls on February 5 and gave a victory to New York Senator Hillary Clinton over Illinois Senator Barack Obama to become the Democratic candidate for President of the United States. In Sullivan County the vote was Clinton 2,817, Obama 1,718.

Statewide, the race had been tightening between the two, with Clinton giving up the commanding lead she held early on. According to two Quinnipiac University polls, on January 22 Clinton enjoyed a commanding lead of 51 percent to 25 percent among likely primary voters. But by February 4, the figures had changed to 53 percent for Clinton and 39 percent for Obama.

Statewide, on the Republican side, Arizona Senator John McCain beat former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. In Sullivan County the final totals were McCain 1,192, Romney 515 and Huckabee 249.

According to the same polls, McCain led Romney 54 percent to 22 percent among likely Republican voters the day before election, up from 30 percent to nine percent in the January 22 poll. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was flat at about nine percent.

McCain’s victory is more important than Clinton’s in terms of the delegate count. A Republican candidate needs 1,081 delegate votes to capture the nomination. There are 101 delegates up for grabs in the Empire State, with 87 of them going to McCain because he captured the most votes statewide. In addition, the Republican state committee selects 11 unpledged delegates, and three party leaders attend the Republican National Convention, also as unpledged delegates.

On the Democratic side, a candidate needs 2,025 delegate votes to gain the nomination and New York has 281 delegates. Of those, 151 are awarded to the candidates proportionally based on the results of the primary within each congressional district. Additionally, 81 delegates are awarded proportionally based on the statewide vote. The remaining 49 delegates are unpledged.

Countrywide, the total delegate count as of now for Republicans is McCain 613, Romney 269, Huckabee 190; for Democrats, it’s Clinton 845, Obama 765.