JUNEAU — The Alaska Republican Party has decided to let Marco Rubio keep the five delegates he won in the state's presidential preference poll this month.

The party on March 17 announced it had reassigned the delegates Rubio won in the March 1 preference poll because he suspended his campaign.

But party chairman Peter Goldberg said in a release Monday that Rubio asked to retain the delegates bound to him, at least through the first nominating ballot at this summer's national convention.

Party spokeswoman Suzanne Downing said the state GOP consulted with the Republican National Committee and its attorneys and were told the decision rested with the party.