WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney breezed to victory Tuesday in the lightly contested Republican presidential primary in the District of Columbia, earning 16 convention delegates and further distancing himself from his fading rivals.
The primary offered GOP voters in the nation's capital a rare opportunity to have their voices heard in national politics. But the candidates spent almost no time or money courting the district's 30,000 Republican voters, and GOP turnout was 15 percent. Republicans make up 6.6 percent of the electorate, and a GOP presidential candidate has never carried the district in a general election.
Romney also won GOP primaries Tuesday in Maryland and Wisconsin.
Preliminary election results showed Romney with 70 percent of the district vote with 100 percent of precincts reporting. Ron Paul was second with 12 percent, and Newt Gingrich had 11 percent. Rick Santorum, Romney's strongest rival, was not on the ballot in the district.
Romney's campaign sent a few staffers to the district to help with get-out-the-vote efforts. The only candidate to make a campaign appearance in the district was Gingrich, and that was a speech to Georgetown University students that made no mention of the primary.
The district's Republican leadership united behind Romney, and many voters backed him enthusiastically, praising his electability and his business background. David Leahy, a 53-year-old attorney, said the former Massachusetts governor would keep taxes and regulation under control and allow American business to prosper.
"I think he's great. He has the background, the smarts, the ability to go head to head with President Obama," Leahy said.
Others said they had reservations about Romney but backed him because he's the likely nominee.
"I voted for Romney, but I'm not happy about it. It was a reluctant vote," said David Avila, a 37-year-old lawyer. "I don't like his negative advertising, and I'm not sure that he's the most genuine individual candidate. But the alternative was Gingrich, who I don't consider viable at this point."
Republicans in the district tend to be more socially moderate than in the southern states where Santorum has picked up most of his delegates. Moderate Jon Huntsman enjoyed strong support in the district before he suspended his campaign. He remained on the district ballot and carried 7 percent of the vote.
Many district Republicans are outspoken in favor of giving the city a voting representative in Congress, which puts them at odds with many in their party. None of the active GOP presidential candidates has taken a position on voting rights.
In local races, D.C. Councilmember Marion Barry, a former four-term mayor, easily held off four Democratic challengers for his Ward 8 Council seat. Barry, 76, has only lost one election in his career — in 1990, after he had been sentenced to six months in federal prison on a drug charge.
In the Democratic primary for an at-large Council seat, Councilmember Vincent Orange held a slim lead over former interim councilmember Sekou Biddle. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Orange led by 523 votes, or 1 percentage point. Nearly 3,800 absentee ballots remained to be counted. Elections officials will tally them on April 13, 10 days after the primary.
Orange defeated Biddle last year in a special election, and Orange recently acknowledged receiving suspicious money-order donations during that campaign. The contributions have been linked to businessman Jeffrey Thompson, whose home and office were searched by federal authorities as part of a broad investigation into campaign finance in the district.
Councilmember Muriel Bowser, D-Ward 4, and Councilmember Yvette Alexander, D-Ward 7, won their primaries over multiple opponents. Democrat Jack Evans of Ward 2 ran unopposed.
Democratic turnout was 15.5 percent, which is similar to previous primaries for Council races. This year, the Council primary and presidential primary were held on the same day for the first time.
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