GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Saturday brought Election Day part 2 as Republicans from all over the state descended upon Grand Rapids to cast their votes for President of the United States.
Former President Donald Trump won all 39 remaining delegates up for grabs in Michigan's first-ever presidential primary caucus.
Trump won 97.7% of the vote Saturday, while Nikki Haley only got 2.23%. During Tuesday's primary, the former president earned 12 delegates while Haley earned 4, bringing Trump's total delegates from Michigan to 51 out of 55.
But, on a day that brought such a simple and expected result, the road leading up to Saturday was anything but.
"We've spent the last 48 hours, you know, just taking a look at all the potential fires that are out there," MIGOP Chair Pete Hoekstra told FOX 17 just before the convention began. "Hopefully we extinguished them all."
On Tuesday, a court ruled that former chair Kristina Karamo had been properly removed during a meeting back on January 6. Just five days later, Hoesktra was running around the convention, full steam ahead, with some hope for future unity.
"We need everybody on board to win in November," says Hoekstra. "We'll listen to you, and we'll try to figure a way to get us all going in the same direction."
But all of that drama over leadership, created convention chaos.
The original convention scheduled under Karamo was to be held in Detroit, but when Hoekstra took over he moved it to Grand Rapids.
Then, just days before, two more conventions emerged, one in Houghton lake, another in Battle Creek.
With the backing of a judge, and the Republican National Committee, Hoekstra maintains that the Grand Rapids convention is the real one.
"There may be still a few people that don't believe that, but yeah, no, this is [it]."
The evidence of those who agree with Hoekstra, evidenced by the packed ballroom playing host to Congressional District 3 delegates.
And the evidence of those who still disagree, shown by a different room filled with only a handful of delegates from District 1, because the rest of their district are at the event in Houghton Lake.
One of those few District 1 attendees was a woman named Barb Schroeder, who tells FOX 17 she was the only one in attendance from Mackinac County. She says the ongoing politics, have cost her friendships.
"They've all turned against me because they know how I feel, and I said, 'that's sad, that's really too bad.'"
But, she’s sticking to her principles.
"I came here because I see a path for Pete Hoekstra to make a difference. I really do," says Barb. "Somebody's got to take charge and stand up and do what's right, and do get us all going in the same direction."
And for many other attendees, the chaos didn’t stop them.
"This chaos has been around since the beginning, the formation of, or the creation of the constitution," says John Schaut, chair of the Kent County GOP in District 3.
"The founding fathers had their difficulties and their differences," John adds, "So to me, this is no surprise."
John says his involvement in politics is for his grandkids.
"I have five grandkids, I want them to have a great future like I did."
With a near unanimous vote, Republicans like Tom Nemcek of Cascade Township, hope that future, includes Donald Trump in the White House.
"I'm a huge Trump supporter, I have been since he was elected and continue to be," says Tom. "He cares about this country."
Now the multiple conventions caused even more confusion over who got credentialed to be here.
When the location changed many in support of Karamo did not think they had to RSVP for Grand Rapids as well, and claim they were then denied credentials.
Hoesktra insists that everything was properly communicated, but some folks still showed up and asked for their districts to then approve their credentials.
One woman from District 1 told FOX 17 that were not approved, but meanwhile a large group of delegates from Kent and Ottawa counties did get theirs approved.
With about 1,900 people credentialed Hoekstra says this just shows, that there’s a lot of people who want to win in November.
On the final results, Hoekstra says, "It sends a clear message the Michigan GOP, at least through the caucus process, we are united, we are ready to move forward on to the November election."
Meanwhile, in a statement from Karamo's former General Counsel Dan Hartman, he says she spent the day with her family and is respecting the injunction.
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