W.Va. GOP Convention Voting Ends Without Winner

(CHARLESTON, W.Va.) — West Virginia's GOP convention failed to select a winner during a first round of voting Tuesday, following personal appeals by Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul for the 18 seats up for grabs to the national nominating convention.

Paul was eliminated from the next round of balloting, after a fourth-place finish among the 1,133 participating delegates. Romney attracted 41 percent of the votes, followed by Huckabee with 33 percent.

John McCain, stumping elsewhere, reached the second round with 15 percent. Paul had 10 percent.

Romney, Huckabee and Paul all addressed the often-boisterous, winner-take-all event, before voting began.

Romney brought his message of change to the convention, while telling the crowd it contrasts that of the Democratic field. Touting his turnaround on abortion, the former Massachusetts governor promised to tackle Social Security, excessive federal spending and health care access.

''Washington has not been able to deal with the problems we have,'' Romney told the crowd, adding that ''It's time have some people who are citizens go to Washington and get the politicians out.''

Romney also took aim at McCain. He invoked the front-runner's support of recent immigration bill, of stem-cell funding and for energy legislation that Romney said threatened West Virginia's coal industry.

''Are we going to put a true conservative in the house that Ronald Reagan built or are we going to take a left turn?'' Romney said.

Huckabee was candid about his lackluster showings since the Iowa caucus.

''I need you to vote for me today,'' he told the Mountain State audience. He cast illegal immigration as one example of what ails Washington, while also declaring that ''our tax system is beyond fixing.''

''This ought not to be about who waves the check book at you,'' Huckabee said.

Paul, a 10-term Texas congressman, offered himself as ''the taxpayer's best friend'' to convention-goers. He pledged to stick to a strict constitutional view of the president's fiscal, foreign policy and military powers.

To applause from supporters lining the convention hall, Paul also echoed his opposition to the Iraq war and declared that ''going to war needlessly ... is not the solution.'' He said current policies threaten to ruin the U.S. economy and currency.

West Virginia expects to post the first results among the 21 states with GOP primaries or caucuses. More than 1,000 delegates to the Republican national convention are up for grabs nationwide, making this Super Tuesday the biggest primary day in U.S. history.

Jim Mazzella attended the state convention from Tucker County and planned to support Huckabee. The former Arkansas governor has made inroads among West Virginia's evangelical voters.

''We're very driven by the pro-life issue, and he's made that a very big part of his campaign,'' Mazzella said. ''He seems to be clear about where he stands on the issues, and I like the way he presents himself.''

Though state delegates are free to change allegiances, Romney entered the convention with the largest bloc at 210. Huckabee followed with 138, while Paul attracted 95.

But while McCain had 15 pledged to his cause, the Arizona senator expected to pick up at least some of the 160 delegates gathered by Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani before each quit the race. Romney reached out to Thompson and Giuliani supporters with Tuesday's speech, praising each former candidate's contribution to the race.

National polls, meanwhile, showed McCain favored in most other Super Tuesday states. Former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer addressed the convention in McCain's stead and banked on that potential momentum Tuesday.

''West Virginia has a chance to tell the rest of the America what the new direction for our party and our country will be,'' he told the crowd. ''(McCain's) just got the values that America and West Virginia count on.''

Nearly half the delegates arrived Tuesday uncommitted to any candidate, influencing the event's dynamic. Shirley Searls of Putnam County said she hasn't made up her mind, but is leaning toward McCain.

''He's the lesser of all the evils,'' she said. ''I just want the most conservative candidate in there.''

That didn't sit well with fellow Putnam County delegate Bob Pennington, who is backing Romney.

''I'm going to have to work on her,'' he joked.

Yard signs and volunteers for the candidates greeted the state delegates as they entered the Charleston Civic Center, while other staffers hosted hospitality rooms inside. Several state and local candidate also courted party members.

The convention has had its critics. Some Republicans complained that the process for selecting delegates to the convention excluded too many of the party's nearly 345,000 registered voters.

Associated Press Staff Writer Tom Breen contributed to this report.

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