West Virginia is Romney Country (Almost) Huckabee Country

David Weigel | February 5, 2008

Mitt Romney is close to a win in West Virginia's complicated GOP convention. On the first ballot:

Mitt Romney has 464 votes (41%)

Mike Huckabee has 375 votes (33%)

John McCain has 176 votes (16%)

Ron Paul has 118 votes (10%)

Paul has been knocked out of the race, and I honestly don't know where his votes go. Whoever wins the convention gets 18 delegates: Paul and presumably McCain will get nothing. The Ron Paul Forums people want the conventioneers to vote Huck—how do you like that monkey wrench, gears?—or split.

UPDATE 2:20: I'm hearing the gambit by McCain and Paul backers to go for Huckabee worked. Huckabee's going to win.

UPDATE 2:24: Yes, most of the McCain and Paul voters went for Huckabee on the second ballot. Huckabee wins, 52-47 percent.

UPDATE 3:00: Via Michael Wooten of WSAZ, Paul backers expect to score 3 of Huckabee's 18 delegates today in return for giving him the election.