Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich will be contesting the winner take all basis by which delegates were awarded following the Florida Republican primary election on Tuesday.
Bill Collum, Mr. Gingrich’s Florida state co-chair, was the first to confirm the report with Fox News.
The former House speaker is taking advantage of new rules implemented in 2011 by the Republican National Committee, which states that any contest set before a specific date must award its delegates proportionally, according to Mr. Gingrich’s spokesman R.C. Hammond.
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won the Florida election with 46 percent of the votes, trailed by Mr. Gingrich who finished with 32 percent. Based on their winner take all rules, Mr. Romney was awarded all 50 of the state’s delegates.
If Mr. Gingrich is successful in his challenge, it would greatly reduce Mr. Romney’s substantial lead that he currently has in terms of number of delegates acquired thus far in the race. The Bain Capital co-founder currently has 71 delegates, while Mr. Gingrich currently has 23, mostly from his victory in the South Carolina Republican primary election.
In order to secure the Republican nomination in August, Mr. Romney needs to acquire 1,144 delegates, out of the total 2,286 that are available.
“The RNC set out rules last winter that stated any contest held before a certain date must award its delegates proportionally,” said Mr. Hammond. “Florida moved its primary inside of this date, so therefore we’re asking the state party of Florida to enforce the existing rules.”
Mr. Gingrich’s campaign will face an uphill battle in trying to get the Florida Republican party to return to its original, proportional distribution rules though. The winner take all basis for Florida was announced in September, and none of the candidates protested it.
“Florida was winner take all before Election Day, we were winner take all on Election Day, we will remain winner take all,” said Lenny Curry, chairman of the Florida Republican party, in a statement obtained by The Washington Post. “It is a shame when the loser of a contest agrees to the rules before, then cries foul after losing.”
In addition to setting new rules regarding their delegates in 2011, the RNC also set new rules regarding primary election results challenges. An eligible voter in Florida has just as much right as Mr. Gingrich to challenge the winner take all rules regarding Florida delegates. The challenge is then considered by the RNC Committee on Contests, right before the RNC convention in August.
If the race winds up being much tighter than it is right now, the RNC might consider the contest from Mr. Gingrich. However, if Mr. Romney continues to dominate the race, the contest will likely be thrown out, regardless of Mr. Gingrich’s challenge.
Both candidates are out on the campaign trail Thursday, courting voters leading up the Nevada Republican caucuses on Saturday. Neither Mr. Romney or Mr. Gingrich themselves have provided any comment on the possible challenge.
