Although Mike Huckabee led Louisiana's Republican presidential preference primary last week, state Republican Party officials Saturday rounded up at least 43 of the state's 47 GOP national convention delegates for rival John McCain. Huckabee may end up with no delegates at all from Louisiana.
Jay Connaughton, an operative for McCain, the Arizona senator who appears to have the party's nomination all but wrapped up, said after the state Republican Party's convention that he has 43 verbal and signed commitments to McCain and expects another one today.
He said another delegate has said she will support McCain at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis Sept. 1-4 but will not sign an affidavit now. Two others said they will go to the convention uncommitted, Connaughton said.
Under party rules, a candidate who got a majority of the popular vote in last week's presidential primary would gain 20 delegates. If no one got a majority, those 20 would go to the convention uncommitted along with the other 27.
Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and Baptist preacher who is popular among the evangelical wing of the GOP, defeated McCain 43 percent to 42 percent.
Because Huckabee fell short of 50 percent, Roger Villere of Metairie, chairman of the state party, said all the delegates technically will go to the national convention uncommitted, but "a majority of people have signed affidavits on behalf of McCain," pledging their vote to him on the first convention ballot.
