Michigan primary plan collapses

Hillary Clinton was in Detroit this week to push for a new primary

Efforts to stage a re-run of the Democratic Party primary in Michigan have collapsed.

The Michigan state Senate adjourned on Thursday without taking up a proposal to hold a new primary on 3 June.

Hillary Clinton was pushing for a re-run as she competes with Barack Obama to become the Democratic Party nominee in the US presidential race.

Michigan and Florida broke party rules by staging early primaries and were stripped of their delegates.

Mrs Clinton narrowly trails Barack Obama in the race to secure delegates who will nominate the Democratic presidential candidate at the party's convention in August.

Earlier this week, the Democratic Party decided not to stage a re-run of the Florida primary.

Fresh dispute

After the proposal for a Michigan primary re-run was dropped, Mr Obama's campaign proposed splitting the state's delegates equally between the two contenders, while Mrs Clinton's camp was pushing for a postal vote.

Mr Obama has raised concerns about the security of a rapidly organised postal vote.

DEMOCRATIC DELEGATE RACE BARACK OBAMA: 1,620 Total states won: 26 HILLARY CLINTON: 1,499 Total states won: 16 Delegates needed to secure nomination: 2,024 Source: AP 21 March; AP 21 March Denver horse-trading ahead Delegate count overview Q&A: Delegates

In Michigan, the state legislature no longer has time to authorise a re-run with the required 60 days notice.

State deputies there had said they were worried that some 100,000 people would have been unable to participate in the re-run, while they also had concerns about logistical and legal difficulties.

State Senate leader Mike Bishop, a Republican, said Democrats remained divided over the re-run and that "without a valid and viable proposal, another primary in Michigan will soon not be an option".

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, a supporter of Mrs Clinton, said she was deeply disappointed that the re-run could no longer be held.

"We will turn our attention to other options," she said.

"There is no road to the White House that does not go through Michigan."

Mrs Clinton has been keen to restage the votes in Florida, with its 210 delegates, and Michigan, with 128, as she seeks to close the gap on Mr Obama.

Democrats in Florida had proposed a re-run using mainly postal votes, but Mr Obama opposed the plan.

The Democratic National Convention said they would only re-stage the vote there with the approval of both candidates.