John McCain Takes Early Lead Over Mike Huckabee in South CarolinaJohn McCain took the early lead in the South Carolina primary Saturday, but the race was tight in the first-in-the-South contest.
With 38 percent of precincts reporting, McCain had 35 percent and Huckabee, 29 percent. Fred Thompson had 15 percent, Mitt Romney had 14 percent. Ron Paul was polling at 4 percent and Rudy Giuliani at 2 percent. Duncan Hunter, fairing poorly in both Nevada and South Carolina on Saturday, was returning to San Diego and planned to drop out, FOX News learned.
A win for Huckabee or McCain would be a big boost going into the Florida primary Jan. 29 and Super Tuesday Feb. 5, when 24 states hold a variety of primaries and caucuses for both parties. There has been no breakaway frontrunner in the GOP race — Huckabee won the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, while McCain won the Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary. Romney won lower profile contests in Wyoming, Michigan and Nevada, but leads the delegate count.
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