By Nathan Duke
McCain, who was unanimously endorsed by the Queens County Republican Party last week, soundly defeated former Massachussetts Governor Mitt Romney, who only secured 25 percent of the delegates, and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who only took home 8 percent, in the borough's GOP race, according to unofficial results reported on CNN.com.McCain, who also won the state of New York with 51 percent of delegates, according to CNN, quickly became the favorite among Queens Republicans after Mayor Rudolph Giuliani dropped his bid for the White House.Borough GOP leaders had been united in their support for Giuliani's campaign, but the former mayor's poll numbers had dropped significantly before the Jan. 29 Florida primary, on which he had hung his hopes for a win. But Giuliani dropped out of the race the day after his third-place finish there and almost immediately endorsed McCain, a longtime friend.Last Thursday, the Queens GOP followed Giuliani's lead and endorsed the four-term Arizona senator, insisting that the state Republican Party could take back Senate seats on the strength of voter turnout if McCain is the nominee.”He's a genuine American hero,” state Sen. Serphin Maltese (R-Glendale) said. “Perhaps we disagree on one issue or another. But on the issue of protecting the nation from Islamic terrorists, John McCain is on the same page as Rudy Giuliani.”The senator said borough Republicans should support McCain and blasted the two Democratic frontrunners in the race, U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.).”There are two horrible alternatives [to McCain],” Maltese said. “They're calling each other all kinds of obnoxious terms and I think they're both right.”Maltese said he thought the state's Republican Party could not only retain state Senate seats with a McCain win, but also take back other seats.”We are in a year when it could go one way or another – all seats are up,” he told members of the Queens Republicans during a meeting at the borough party's headquarters in Whitestone.Queens GOP Chairman Phil Ragusa said the party could not afford the state's Democratic Party controlling all three branches of government.”Our focus is to hold onto the Senate – it's the last bastion of Republicanism in the state,” he said.Prior to the Florida primary, Queens Republicans had placed calls on behalf of Giuliani's campaign to that state's voters from the party's borough headquarters. Ragusa said the county party would do the same for McCain.Borough GOP leaders had also previously stumped for Giuliani in New Hampshire and Iowa, Maltese said.City attorney Grant Lally, who is acting as a borough spokesman for McCain's campaign, said the Arizona senator was the “right man for America at this time.””He's a great leader in the Senate, a great fiscal conservative,” he said. “And he's got a great foreign policy.”Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.
