McCain takes narrow win over Huckabee, Paul in state

Although Arizona Sen. John McCain has seized a commanding lead in the race for the GOP presidential nomination, Washington's Republican caucus-goers showed they are still very divided on their party's nominee.

With 87 percent of precincts reporting Saturday night, the state party declared McCain the victor with only a narrow lead over former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and Texas Congressman Ron Paul a fairly close third. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who suspended his presidential campaign last week, also received a sizable chunk of delegates.

Republican caucuses were well-attended, party officials said, though not nearly as packed as their Democratic counterparts.

In Lynnwood, nearly 500 Republicans jammed Silver Creek Community Church, sprawling out in a concrete-floored gym and into side rooms. Initiative guru Tim Eyman exhorted the crowd to unify behind the party's eventual nominee — especially given Washington's Democratic leanings.

"There is no doubt that we have to work extra-hard in a wacko lefty state like Washington state to get our guys elected," Eyman said. "They've got the crazies in Seattle. We've got to come up with more sane people outside of Seattle to make up for them."

Edmonds City Councilwoman Peggy Pritchard Olson, 58, showed up to back McCain, saying he has the best shot of beating the Democrats in November.

"I think you have to have someone who can attract voters from the center, or you can't win," she said.

But others said they might just stay home in November if McCain is the GOP nominee.

Joel Baxter, 19, a student at Everett Community College, supported Huckabee and said he wasn't sure he could vote for McCain — even if that means handing the White House to the Democrats.

"Maybe the Republicans should take a short breather from the presidency and get our values back in line," he said.

In Auburn for his caucuses, former state Republican Party Chairman Chris Vance said he wasn't worried about GOP enthusiasm for McCain in November.

"By the time fall comes around, I have no doubt that all these people will be ringing doorbells, putting up signs, standing on street corners, campaigning for John McCain, Dino Rossi and Rob McKenna," Vance said.

About 170 Republicans crowded into the cafeteria at Stevenson Elementary School in Bellevue, two or three times as many as in a normal year, party officials said.

In one precinct, four Paul backers and three McCain supporters debated the Iraq war while trying to persuade the other side to switch.

Keith Neanover, 26, who served a yearlong tour in Iraq as an Army platoon leader, told the Paul faithful their conspiracy theories are wrong and that the Iraqi people were excited about starting their own government. "Trust me, it's not about the oil," he said. "I was over there. It's about democracy."

Saturday's caucuses were only half the picture for selection of Republican delegates. The GOP will select the remaining half of its 40 delegates through the primary on Feb. 19.

Jim Brunner: 206-515-5628 or jbrunner@seattletimes.com. Times reporter Yu Nakayama contributed to this report.