What is " delegate lead"

[NewHopeR]

Every state is counted as a delegate and the sum of all states that he won declares Romney has taken a lead in the presidential candidate race?

Context:

Mitt Romney eked out a narrow win in Ohio and extended his delegate lead on Super Tuesday, but voters failed to deliver a decisive victory that could have brought a swift end to the Republican nominating contest.

Mr. Romney notched wins in Ohio, Massachusetts, Idaho, Virginia, Vermont and Alaska, while Newt Gingrich took Georgia and Rick Santorum won

[Tdol]

He has increased the number of delegates who will support him, but not by enough to put a quick end to the nomination process.

[riquecohen]

Every state is counted as a delegate and the sum of all states that he won declares Romney has taken a lead in the presidential candidate race?

Context:

Mitt Romney eked out a narrow win in Ohio and extended his delegate lead on Super Tuesday, but voters failed to deliver a decisive victory that could have brought a swift end to the Republican nominating contest.

Mr. Romney notched wins in Ohio, Massachusetts, Idaho, Virginia, Vermont and Alaska, while Newt Gingrich took Georgia and Rick Santorum won

Each party in every state has a certain number of delegates to its party's national conventions, where the eventual nominee is chosen. That number is determined by the two major parties, each of which has a different, complex method of calculating how many delegates each state is entitled to. How the delegates from each state are awarded to a candidate is a matter decided by the party in each state. In some states the winner of the primary election receives all the delegates, while in others they are awarded proportionally.
At the Republican nominating convention, 1144 delegate votes are required to win the nomination.

[Tdol]

That number is determined by the two major parties, each of which has a different, complex method of calculating how many delegates each state is entitled to.

Every election, I read and watch and never learn how it works- it's new every time.

[Barb_D]

That puts you in the same company as 98% of Americans. Apparently this year, Georgia, a state with a smaller population than Ohio, has more Republican delegates tha Ohio, because in the last presidential election, that state went for the Republican nominee, so they have "bonus" delegates this year. It's... well, I'm sure it made sense to someone when they created this!

[BobSmith]

One point to remember is that the presidential primary process in the US is intraparty. It's not an official governmental process.

[SoothingDave]

Every election, I read and watch and never learn how it works- it's new every time.

It literally is. The parties are always monkeying with the rules.

Superdelegate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are also superdelegates, though the Democrats make much more use of these than the GOP.