Huckabee-Paul West Virginia Deal Confirmed

Important Update: Read TVF's exclusive inside account, based on our interview with one of the delegates involved, of how the deal was made.

Tempestuous Tuesday may be over, but the ensuing tempest has not entirely passed. As The Virginian Federalist broke the story in the Commonwealth, the Huckabee Camp promised 3 of the 18 West Virginia delegates to Ron Paul for his supporter’s votes. Despite the fact that West Virginia was a winner take all state, Ron Paul consistently claims that his camp brokered a deal with the West Virginia Huckabee Camp to through their caucus goers support to Huckabee in return for 3 delegates.

Mike Huckabee claimed all 18 delegates, and his national campaign has refused to confirm any such deal. Yesterday, the AP reported that although Huckabee’s National Campaign has denied any such deal, the West Virginia Huckabee Campaign did indeed make a deal with the Ron Paul Campaign.

Huckabee Delegate Greg Smith of Wood County, West Virginia confirmed a deal was hatched between the two camps, clarifying that the National Huckabee Campaign was not involved at all. Even with the McCain Camp telling supporters to vote for Huckabee, Huckabee would have had at most 48% of the vote. After the first ballot, Ron Paul was removed from the ballot as the lowest vote getter. At this point the local Huckabee Camp brokered the deal with Paul.

Despite Mike Hucabee’s claim of 18 delegates, the deal may yet be upheld. The Chief Executive of the West Virginia Republican Presidential Convention, Bob Fish, explained that Huckabee’s WV Delegates are not “legally bound” to vote for Huckabee at the GOP Convention. As it was the Huckabee Delegates who helped broker the deal, they can honor their commitment for 3 to support Paul.

As such, The Virginian Federalist’s Delegate Counter will continue to reflect this deal.