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| Romney wins in Michigan primary | Romney wins in Michigan primary |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Republican Mitt Romney has won the US state of Michigan's presidential primary, beating Senator John McCain. | Republican Mitt Romney has won the US state of Michigan's presidential primary, beating Senator John McCain. |
| Giving a victory speech to jubilant supporters as the results came in, Mr Romney said the win marked "the beginning of a comeback". | Giving a victory speech to jubilant supporters as the results came in, Mr Romney said the win marked "the beginning of a comeback". |
| Mr McCain congratulated Mr Romney, raised locally, saying he had worked hard to ensure he won the state's vote. | Mr McCain congratulated Mr Romney, raised locally, saying he had worked hard to ensure he won the state's vote. |
| Michigan does not figure in the race for the Democratic nomination because of a party dispute over scheduling. | Michigan does not figure in the race for the Democratic nomination because of a party dispute over scheduling. |
| The state had been seen as pivotal for Mr Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and wealthy businessman. | The state had been seen as pivotal for Mr Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and wealthy businessman. |
| He was beaten in Iowa on 3 January and in New Hampshire five days later, despite spending heavily and having a better campaign organisation than his rivals. | |
| Speaking to his supporters in Michigan, Mr Romney said: "Only a week ago a win looked like it was impossible, but then you got out and told America what they needed to hear. | Speaking to his supporters in Michigan, Mr Romney said: "Only a week ago a win looked like it was impossible, but then you got out and told America what they needed to hear. |
| "Tonight marks the beginning of a comeback, a comeback for America." | "Tonight marks the beginning of a comeback, a comeback for America." |
| 'Great race' | |
| Mr McCain, who won in New Hampshire, was quick to commend Mr Romney's victory, saying he had capitalised on his claim to be the "native son" of Michigan's voters. | |
| I think we've shown them we don't mind a fight John McCain | |
| The 71-year-old Arizona senator pledged to carry on the battle on the campaign trail. | |
| "For a minute there in New Hampshire I thought this campaign might be getting easier. But you know what? We've gotten pretty good at doing things the hard way too. | |
| "And I think we've shown them we don't mind a fight." | |
| Mike Huckabee, the winner in Iowa who was projected to come third in the Michigan poll, also congratulated Mr Romney on having "won a great race". | |
| Mr Huckabee, former governor of the Southern state of Arkansas, was already looking forward to Saturday's Republican primary in South Carolina as his chance to wrest back control of the race. | |
| "We're going to make it real clear, that the first-in-the-South primary is going to give their support to the first-in-the-South candidate," he said. | |
| 'New life' | |
| Mr Romney is likely to have benefited from his strong local connections in Michigan - his father George was governor in the 1960s, and his wife was also born in the state. | |
| The BBC's Jonathan Beale says that Michigan's struggling economy was also an important factor, as the car industry that was once the main engine of growth suffers job losses, cuts and growing competition. | |
| Mr Romney promised to breathe new life into the old industry, our correspondent says, and his credibility grew as he ran his campaign as the experienced CEO. | |
| The Democratic Party denied Michigan the right to send delegates to its convention - when the party's presidential candidate will be chosen - because the state party chose to hold its primary early. | |
| The party's candidates were taking part in a debate in Las Vegas, Nevada, where caucuses will be held on Saturday, as the Michigan results came in. |