Romney seeks to place first in his native state

DETROIT -- Michigan voters are heading to the polls Tuesday for a primary that features a battle among a native son, a returning champion and a Southern wild card.

Mitt Romney is looking for a much-needed victory in Michigan, where he was born and his father, George, was a popular governor. John McCain, who won last week's New Hampshire primary, wants to repeat his 2000 win here. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, winner of the Iowa caucuses Jan. 3, has said he'll finish strong.

About 20% of eligible voters were expected to turn out across the state, where freezing temperatures prevailed and snow was forecast.

"If Romney wins, all of a sudden he's a tier-one candidate," independent Michigan pollster Ed Sarpolus said. "If McCain wins, the national Republican inner circle begins to want to have him as the candidate." Sarpolus cast Huckabee as an underdog.

Coming off second-place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire, Romney told USA TODAY on Monday that Michigan is a "want-to-win" contest for him. He took the little-noticed Wyoming caucuses Jan. 5.

"Four states won't choose the nominee of our party," he said, vowing to take his campaign "at least" to the mega-primary Feb. 5, when New York, California and other large states pick nominees.

Romney noted that he has also raised "more money than any other Republican running for office." The former Massachusetts governor raised nearly $63 million through Sept. 30, the most recent reports available, including $17 million he has loaned to his campaign.

"If I lost among Republicans, that would tell me one thing. If, on the other hand, the same thing happened as happened in 2000, where Democrats gave the nomination to John McCain, well, why, that might be another," Romney said Tuesday on CNN.

Polls in Michigan show a tight race between Romney and McCain, who have both emphasized economic issues in a state sagging under the nation's highest jobless rate, 7.4%.

"It's been tough here in the state of Michigan," McCain said Monday at a Kalamazoo rally. He said he would try to turn Michigan's auto industry into a lab for research into alternative energy sources.

The Arizona senator also proposed to revamp retraining programs for workers whose jobs may be gone forever in the global economy. He said existing programs are outdated because "they were designed for the '50s when somebody would be out of a job for a while and regain that same job again. We all know the different environment."

McCain is courting independents and Democrats. Under Michigan's election system, voters can choose the party primary in which they want to vote. Independent voters helped McCain win in New Hampshire last week and vaulted him over George W. Bush in Michigan's primary eight years ago.

"I think this is going to be a very close election," McCain said Tuesday on CNN. "I think it's going to be closer than it was in New Hampshire. But I think, here in Michigan, the negative attacks by Governor Romney didn't work in New Hampshire against me, didn't work in Iowa against Huckabee. And I don't think it's going to work here in Michigan or in South Carolina, wherever he continues the negative attacks."

Huckabee returned briefly to Michigan but plans to watch election returns Tuesday in South Carolina. In Augusta, Mich., Huckabee promoted a national retail sales tax, saying it would spur economic productivity.

"One of the reasons we've lost so many jobs, starting here in Michigan, is because we have a system of taxes that penalizes productivity," Huckabee said.

Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani spent Monday campaigning outside the state. Thompson discussed tax cuts in South Carolina, which holds its Republican primary on Jan. 19, and Giuliani campaigned at a retirement community in Florida, whose primary is Jan. 29. Texas Rep. Ron Paul is also on the Michigan ballot.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Rodham Clinton is the only leading candidate on the Michigan ballot.

The Democratic National Committee is punishing Michigan for scheduling its primary before Feb. 5 and is refusing to seat the state's Democratic delegates at the party's convention this August in Denver. Barack Obama and John Edwards had their names withdrawn from the ballot.

Next up for the Democrats were precinct caucuses Saturday in Nevada, where a debate was scheduled for Tuesday night in Las Vegas.