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Republican Mitt Romney scored a breakthrough win over rival John McCain in Michigan MOREINFO: Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, desperately needed a victory in the midwestern state to keep his White House hopes alive after second-place finishes in the first two contests to find a Republican candidate for the November election. Jon Decker reports. SCRIPT: ON CAMERA) I'm Jon Decker of Reuters at Mitt Romney's election night victory party in Southfield,Michigan. With a decisive win in the Michigan Republican Primary, Mitt Romney has set his campaign back on track....dealt a blow to John McCain...and further complicated the Republican race for the White House. A little over an hour polls closed across the state of Michigan, the results were clear....Mitt Romney -- after two consecutive losses in Iowa and New Hampshire-- could call himself a winner. SOUNDBITE: Mitt Romney, presidential candidate, saying (English): Despite being a native son of Michigan, Romney's win in his home state didn't come easy-- campaigning almost non-stop in the state-- including a primary day rally in Grand Rapids. In Ypsilanti-- not far from Detroit, John McCain who won the Michigan primary 8 years ago when he first ran for president, conducted a question and answer session with supporters. (ON CAMERA BRIDGE) Town-Hall events like this John McCain event in Ypsilanti, Michigan are aimed not only at Republicans-- but also Democrats and Independents-- two groups that helped John McCain win the New Hampshire Primary. About 12 hours later, after the Michigan primary results were clear, he addressed supporters in South Carolina. SOUNDBITE: John McCain, presidential candidate, saying (English): With Michigan's economy reeling, McCain's primary message of a strong national defense was not the message that voters were looking for. Instead, Mitt Romney plugged his experience as a successful businessman and the one candidate who could turn Michigan's economy around. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, meanwhile, who enjoyed a snowball fight in Detroit on primary day, was a distant third in Michigan and will not refocus his attention on a slew of upcoming Southern primaries. (ON CAMERA) Mitt Romney's win in Michigan may now thrust his candidacy into frontrunner status. The Republican race for the White House now heads south to South Carolina-- another pivotal state that could further change the dynamics of a very competitive Republican Presidential race. Jon Decker, Reuters Television, Southfield Michigan.