Plan for new Michigan Democratic primary falters

By Kevin Krolicki

DETROIT (Reuters) - Michigan Democratic Party leaders on Tuesday said a proposal to re-run the state's contested presidential primary in June, which could potentially benefit the campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton, was stalled and unlikely to be approved before a deadline this week.

Opposition from lawmakers backing Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's campaign seemed certain to scuttle any proposal to hold a June 3 "do-over" Democratic primary in the Midwestern state.

"There are definitely not enough votes now to support the proposal," said Callie Collins, a spokeswoman for state Sen. Tupac Hunter, co-chairman of Obama's campaign in Michigan.

Democratic primaries held in Michigan and Florida in January were invalidated by the national party because both states disobeyed party directives and held their balloting earlier to have a greater say in the selection of candidates.

New York Sen. Clinton won Michigan's January 15 primary in Michigan, although Obama removed his name from the ballot and neither candidate actively campaigned in the state.

Florida dropped its bid on Monday to re-run that state's January 29 Democratic primary, also won by Clinton.

The two are locked in a tight race to become the party nominee in November, and the standoff over what to do with the disputed primaries and the delegates chosen has threatened to disrupt the Democratic convention in late August.

Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a prominent Clinton supporter, has supported the idea of a re-run primary despite opposition from other Democrats and state Republicans.