Virginia Primary: Mitt Romney vs. Ron Paul; Ousted Newt Gingrich Complains of 'Failed System'

Newt Gingrich, who failed to make the Virginia primary ballot, complained Saturday that the state's qualification process was a "failed system."

Only Mitt Romney and Ron Paul qualified for the March 6 presidential primary.

"Voters deserve the right to vote for any top contender, especially leading candidates," Gingrich campaign director Michael Krull said in a statement. "We will work with the Republican Party of Virginia to pursue an aggressive write-in campaign to make sure that all the voters of Virginia are able to vote for the candidate of their choice."

But Gingrich's campaign can't do that either. State law declares: "No write-in shall be permitted on ballots in primary elections."

The former House speaker's failure to make the Virginia ballot was stunning, considering that he was leading in the latest Quinnipiac poll in the state. It raised further questions about the Gingrich campaign's organization, or lack thereof.

To qualify for the primary, a candidate must have gathered signatures from at least 10,000 registered voters. At least 400 signatures must come from each of Virginia's 11 congressional districts.

Romney and Paul were the only two GOP candidates to meet the requirements.