( dpa ) - Michigan's legislature on Thursday effectively ended plans for a redo of the state's Democratic primary election, following the lead of Florida officials who axed their own plans for a revote earlier this week.
Both states flouted Democratic Party rules and were stripped of their delegates to the nominating convention after setting their primary dates too early, but the extremely close presidential race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton had left the two states scrambling to develop plans for a second election.
Clinton has accused the Obama campaign of holding up revote plans and on Thursday suggested the party's presidential nominee would lack legitimacy if no compromise was found that would let Florida and Michigan voters be included in the nominating process.The Michigan state Senate adjourned for a two-week recess on Thursday without taking up a bill that would have set a revote for June 3. The Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop said disagreements between Obama and Clinton supporters meant there was little point in going forward with a vote, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Florida's state Democratic Party nixed the idea of a revote Monday, citing lack of support and logistical problems. But party and campaign officials in both states are still holding talks to find a way out of the impasse.
"I do not see how two of our largest and most significant states can be disenfranchised and left out of the process of picking our nominee without raising serious questions about the legitimacy of that nominee," Clinton told reporters at a stop in Illinois.
Obama has accused Clinton of being "disingenuous" over the issue for suggesting the original primaries in January should count, and has said he will abide by whatever rules are set by the Democratic National Committee.
The DNC ruled last year that states which defied a national schedule for primary elections would lose their delegates to the national convention in August.
Clinton won both primaries, but neither candidate was allowed to campaign in the states and only Clinton's name was on the Michigan ballot.