Politics & Government

What a Difference 4 Years Makes: Look Back at 2008 Presidential Primary

The 2012 primary is Tuesday. Four years ago, Mitt Romney won 43 percent of Republican primary votes in Royal Oak, Hillary Clinton took 52 percent of Democrats' votes and Barack Obama was not even on the ballot.

Though he didn’t attend college in Michigan and hasn't lived here full time since graduating from the all-boys in 1965, Mitt Romney has a string of local touchstones. He grew up in Bloomfield Hills, married a schoolmate from that city and is the son of a popular ex-governor (George Romney, 1963-69).

Mitt Romney easily won his boyhood state, and Royal Oak, in the Republican presidential primary in 2008. The former Massachusetts governor took 43 percent of the vote in Royal Oak; U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona was the runner up with 30 percent.

Four years later, just days before the Feb. 28 Michigan primary,

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Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania (1995-2007), recently to voters in the in Novi.

“We live in a time of great consequence and Michigan is in the center of it," he said.

Find out what's happening in Royal Oakwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Those casting votes on the Democratic ballot Tuesday will have an opportunity to vote for Barack Obama or "uncommitted." It's worth noting the Democrat Party is holding a caucus May 5 and will be honoring the results of that contest only.

As a side note, Obama was not on the ballot in Michigan in 2008. After the Democratic National Committee (DNC) stripped Michigan and Florida of all of their delegates in 2007, Obama, Bill Richardson, Joe Biden and John Edwards withdrew from the Michigan Democratic Primary ballot.

Royal Oak Presidential Primary Results – Jan. 15, 2008

Registered voters

46,279

Ballots casts

11,671

Voter turnout

25.22 percent

Republican primary

Candidate Percent of vote

Sam Brownback

.04

Rudy Giuliani

3.51

Mike Huckabee

8.66

Duncan Hunter

.27

John McCain

30.21

Ron Paul

8.51

Mitt Romney

43.27

Tom Tancredo

.06

Fred Thompson

3.36

Uncommitted

2.05

Write-in

.05

Total votes casts: 6,719

Democrat primary

Candidate Percent of vote

Hillary Clinton

52.40

Chris Dodd

0.87

Mike Gravel

0.38

Dennis Kucinich

7.9

Uncommitted

35.61

Write-in

2.84

 Total votes cast: 4,937


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