JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Gov. Charlie Crist said he thinks every vote from Florida's Jan. 25 primary should count, but he is denying reports that he called for holding another Democratic primary this year.

When asked earlier this week if he would let the Democrats hold another primary, CNN quoted him as answering, "That'd be fine with me."

On Wednesday , Crist claims he never said there should be another primary.

Election officials said it would cost between $5 million and $10 million to run a new statewide primary, which the state is not willing to pay.

This latest twist comes amid renewed concern about whether or not to count the Florida Democratic primary vote as the delegate race for Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama remains close and neither candidate may get enough to secure the nomination before the party's convention this summer in Denver.

The Democratic National Committee decided late last year that the delegates from Florida and Michigan would not be seated at its convention because those two states violated party rules when they moved their primaries ahead Super Tuesday on Feb. 5.

Honoring the party's request, neither Clinton nor Obama campaigned in Florida, although Clinton did hold a rally in Davie, Fla., after the polls closed on primary day.

Clinton won the popular vote in both states -- Obama's name was not even on the Michigan ballot -- but those delegates are not counted in the totals toward securing the Democratic nomination.

The Republican party also sanctioned Florida and Michigan by allowing only half the state's delegates to count toward the presidential nomination. With McCain having clinched the GOP namination, it has not created as much controversy among Republicans.

Wednesday afternoon, Crist and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm released a joint statement urging that their state's delegates be seated at both the Democratic and Republican conventions.

"This primary season, voters have turned out in record numbers to exercise that right, and it is reprehensible that anyone would seek to silence the voices of 5,163,271 Americans," the governors wrote. "It is intolerable that the national political parties have denied the citizens of Michigan and Florida their votes and voices at their respective national conventions."

This week, Clinton won the popular vote in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island, but remains dozens of delegates behind Obama in the race to the nomination. On Wednesday, she renewed her call for Florida and Michigan's delegates to be counted in the nomination race.

Local Democratic leaders said they believe that in the end, Florida's 210 delegates will be seated at the convention and the original primary results will stand.