Mike Huckabee Washington Caucuses Follow-up

I just finished a blogger conference call with GOP presidential candidate Governor Mike Huckabee. Since there has been no media coverage of it in the last few weeks, I asked the Governor if he had any follow-up for Washington voters of the caucuses fiasco a few weeks ago and his subsequent investigation.

Governor Huckabee told me that his lawyers looked into the matter and found nothing actionable enough to justify a lengthy and expensive legal challenge, especially when it was doubtful it would have changed the results. Huckabee made it very clear that he was not alleging any wrongdoing on anyone's part.

However, he mentioned that there were irregularities in the counting (Snohomish, Benton, Grant, and Jefferson Counties all sent in caucus attendee presidential preferences versus the number of delegates elected) and that should be concerning, both to his campaign and members of the WSRP.

Mike was also very disappointed in the decision by the Washington State Republican Party to announce a winner in the caucuses that night with the race so close and counting stopped at 87%. In politics, the narrative and the momentum it creates is everything, and Huckabee had already won 2 other states that Saturday (Kansas and Louisiana.) Announcing a win for McCain in Washington before many felt the results were certain disrupted that. The Governor urged us Republicans in the Evergreen State to hold our leadership accountable, and that is certainly what I intend to do.

Governor Huckabee concluded by thanking us for our hard work and support even though the state campaign had very limited resources. He is still in the race and is headed to Texas today to campaign with Chuck Norris and former Dallas Cowboy Cliff Harris.