The Associated Press

PHOENIX € It was just what lawmakers envisioned when they created Arizona's first presidential primary: national media exposure, a big voter turnout and a surprise winner.

It was ''a smashing success,'' gloated House Majority Leader Ernie Baird.

Steve Forbes, millionaire publisher and flat-tax champion, landed 39 delegates in the winner-take-all primary Tuesday.

The victory turned Forbes from a flash-in-the-pan candidate into the GOP leader in early-state delegates over Bob Dole, Pat Buchanan and Lamar Alexander.

With 99 percent of the precincts reporting Wednesday, Forbes had 112,468 votes, or 33 percent. Dole had 100,247 votes, or 30 percent, and Buchanan had 93,034, or 28 percent. Alexander placed a dismal fourth, getting only 24,097 votes, or just 7 percent.

Forbes downplayed critics' claims that he bought the Arizona election by spending as much as $4 million in the state.

''You spend the money to get the message across and the message carries you,'' he said yesterday.

More than three times as many voters cast ballots as had been predicted by the Secretary of State's Office. With more than 343,700 ballots cast, turnout approached 36 percent. Comparatively, the 1994 and 1992 primary elections each had about 29 percent of voters show up. Those elections did not feature presidential contests.

''The registered Republicans of Arizona proved the pundits wrong by showing up in large numbers,'' said Mike Hellon, the state's Republican National Committeeman. ''I was proud of them. It showed a very strong interest in the political process.''

About $2.5 million was spent on the primary, which is about half of what it takes to pay for a statewide election. State officials curb costs by consolidating precincts and making a few other adjustments.

State Republican leaders once saw Arizona's primary as an opportunity to boost the presidential campaign of Texas Sen. Phil Gramm, who was supported by Gov. Fife Symington and Sen. John McCain. The race was left wide open, however, once Gramm bowed out following losses in Louisiana and Iowa.

Political experts say they still believe lawmakers made a wise investment with their primaries.

''I would say the primary election was a very good buy for Arizona,'' said pollster Bruce Merrill of Arizona State University. ''Regardless of the motivation, it was very successful ... If you take the Fiesta Bowl, the Super Bowl and now the primary, there has been an awful lot of attention on Arizona in the last few months.''