By DPA
Washington : Favourite son Mitt Romney has claimed victory in the state of Michigan’s primary vote to decide the Republican presidential candidate, declaring that “Washington is broken” and vowing to fix it.
Romney Tuesday night had 40 percent of the centre-right Republican vote with 44 percent of Michigan precincts counted, followed by 30 percent for his chief rival, Senator John McCain.
A win for the wealthy Romney, 60, son of former Michigan governor George Romney, was seen as crucial to reviving his candidacy after he finished second in earlier votes this month in New Hampshire and Iowa.
“Washington is broken, and we’re going to do something about it,” Romney declared in remarks to the cheers of enthusiastic supporters.
Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, mentioned his concerns about illegal immigration, pensions, tax breaks for middle-income Americans and the country’s dependence on foreign oil.
He laid claim to the legacy of previous Republican presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, but did not mention current president George W. Bush, whose low approval ratings have made him somewhat of a pariah in the Republican race.
For the centre-left Democrats, the race faded in importance after the national party refused to accept any Michigan delegates at its national convention in August in Denver, Colorado. The move was retaliation for the Michigan Democratic Party’s defiance of a timeline set by the national party for its state-level presidential contest.
Tuesday night in Michigan, Democratic voters cast 59 percent of their votes for lead Democratic candidate Senator Hillary Clinton, who remained on the ballot after her chief rivals, Senator Barack Obama, 46, and former senator John Edwards, 54, had withdrawn from the Michigan race due to the squabble with the national party.
Obama and Edwards urged their Michigan supporters to check the “uncommitted” box, which was receiving 36 percent. Both continue to contest the Democratic nomination, including the next vote Saturday in the southwestern state of Nevada.