Ron Paul wins most delegates in Maine, Nevada conventions (VIDEO)

GlobalPost

Ron Paul won the most delegates in both Maine and Nevada on Sunday, enacting a strategy to exert his influence over the party's policies at the Republican National Convention this summer, the Christian Science Monitor reported

In Maine's elections, Paul supporters were elected to 21 of the 24 delegate spots for the RNC in Tampa, Florida, as well as to a majority of the state committee seats, the Associated Press reported

In Nevada, 22 of the state’s 25 delegates are Paul supporters, according to ABC News.  

More from GlobalPost: Ron Paul gains on Mitt Romney in Maine's caucuses but is still losing

While Paul is not likely to gain on Romney in terms of receiving the party's presidential nomination — Paul has support from only 94 delegates compared to Romney's 856, Yahoo! News reported — his supporters' strong showing at the polls indicate the GOP is not completely united behind Romney, and that the party's infighting may last all the way to the national convention.

"Yes, Mr. Romney is still the presumptive nominee. It’s highly unlikely Paul will be able to deny the former Massachusetts governor the prize he’s sought for so long," wrote the Christian Science Monitor's Peter Grier. "But Paul’s forces aren’t lining up and saluting a Romney victory. When they show up in Tampa in August they may be strong enough, and prepared enough, to throw the convention floor into embarrassing disarray."

If the former Texas congressman wins six state conventions, his delegation could effectively control convention proceedings at the RNC and make motions on nearly anything from the floor, from changing the convention rules, to electing a new convention chairman, to offering up platform resolutions, ABC News reported. 

More from GlobalPost: RNC has raised more than $110 million over the past 15 months

Paul's gains in Maine and Nevada also ensure that Romney does not ignore or alienate Paul supporters ahead of the upcoming convention because of his delegate numbers and potential control over the party's proceedings. 

"This keeps Paul part of the process—just like he wanted," wrote Yahoo! News' Rachel Rose Hartman. 

”I run to win, and I have won a lot, but we also want to help direct the party and the country in a certain way," Ron Paul told Fox News' Chris Wallace in January, after the Iowa caucuses. "so that would be a very, very positive strategy to have an influence on the party.”

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