US networks: Romney wins Arizona, edges ahead in Michigan

By Frank Fuhrig Feb 29, 2012, 3:19 GMT

Washington - Exit polls showed presidential candidate Mitt Romney easily winning Arizona's Republican primary and taking a small lead in Michigan, television networks reported.

With 65 per cent of precincts reporting results in Michigan, Romney was at 40 per cent with Rick Santorum at 36 per cent. Congressman Ron Paul received 11 per cent of the votes, and former House of Representatives speaker Newt Gingrich was at 7 per cent.

The northern, Great Lakes state has 30 presidential convention delegates. The winner in each of Michigan's 14 congressional districts wins two delegates with two more delegates going to the statewide winner.

In the south-western state of Arizona, which follows a winner-take-all formula, exit polls showed Romney taking all 29 delegates.

Romney, 64, the former governor of Massachusetts, grew up in Michigan, where his father once served as governor, but spent his adult life away from his native state.

The tough challenge from Santorum, a former US senator from nearby Pennsylvania, which like Michigan has an economic base of heavy industry and is demographically similar, threatened to embarass Romney in a state that he was once expected to win easily.

Santorum leaped to prominence as the social-conservative rival to the front-running Romney after winning non-binding contests on February 8 among Republicans in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado.

Tuesday's outcome sets the stage for the 'Super Tuesday' voting on March 6 in 10 states.

With Arizona's winner-take-all apportionment, Romney was assured of continuing to build his lead in the decisive count of voting delegates at the conservative party's August nominating convention.

The Republican nominee would challenge President Barack Obama, who is unopposed for renomination by the left-leaning Democratic Party in the November general elections.

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