With 10 states up for grabs, Mitt Romney emerged a battered winner on Super Tuesday -- but he didn't knock out his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination.
Romney won six of the 10 states that held contests on Tuesday. While he won Ohio, his chief battleground on Tuesday, Romney's wins also included two New England states, which Republicans have little chance of winning in November, and Virginia, where his chief GOP rivals did not make the ballot.
However, Romney won the closest contest of the night. All eyes were on Ohio -- a state Republicans are looking to take from President Barack Obama in November -- where Romney looks headed for a close win over Rick Santorum by the time the networks called the race. While Santorum led in polls of the Buckeye State last week, in recent days Romney closed the gap and took the lead in some of the polls.
ROMNEY'S NIGHT
While polls closed in Ohio at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, the networks could not call the race in the Buckeye State, where 66 delegates were up for grabs but Romney was declared the winner in the early hours of Wednesday.
With 96 percent of the votes counted in Ohio, Romney had 38 percent and Santorum took 37 percent. Newt Gingrich placed a distant third with 15 percent, followed by Ron Paul with 9 percent. Two candidates who pulled out of the race back in January -- former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah and Gov. Rick Perry of Texas -- took 1 percent each.
Romney won Virginia -- but Santorum and Gingrich were not on the ballot. With 100 percent of votes counted, Romney had 59.5 percent, defeating Paul, who took 40.5 percent -- giving the former Massachusetts governor most of the 49 delegates at stake. Republicans are looking to take the Old Dominion back from Obama, who carried it in 2008.
Romney also romped to victory in two New England states Obama is expected to easily carry in November.
The former Massachusetts governor carried his home base in the Bay State easily. With 93 percent of the votes counted, Romney had 72 percent, followed by Santorum with 12 percent, Paul with 10 percent, Gingrich with 5 percent and Huntsman with 1 percent. While Romney should win most of the 41 delegates in Massachusetts, the state has been a strong supporter of Democratic presidential candidates. Since backing favorite son Calvin Coolidge over John W. Davis in 1924, Massachusetts has only gone Republican four times in presidential elections -- as Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan both carried the state twice.
Romney also won the Vermont Republican presidential primary. With 72 percent of the votes counted, Romney led in the Green Mountain State with 40 percent, followed by Paul with 25 percent, Santorum with 23 percent, Gingrich with 8 percent, Huntsman with 2 percent and Perry with 1 percent. There were 17 delegates on the line in the Green Mountain State, which is expected to be solidly behind Obama in November.
Out West, Romney won the Idaho caucus. With 68 percent of precincts counted, Romney claimed victory in Idaho with 73 percent, followed by Paul with 16 percent, Santorum with 9 percent and Gingrich with 2 percent. Idaho, which had 32 delegates at stake, is one of the most consistent Republican states in presidential elections. The last time a Democrat carried Idaho in a presidential election was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.
His wins continued when Alaskan results came in and Fox News called the race about 2:30 a.m. EST with 85 percent of precincts reporting. According to CNN.com, Romney led the field with 33 percent, followed by Santorum with 29 percent, Paul with 24 percentand Gingrich with 14 percent.
SANTORUM'S SUCCESS
Santorum won three contests on Tuesday -- Tennessee, Oklahoma and North Dakota, all of which should be behind whoever emerges with the Republican nomination in November.
While Gingrich and Romney had caught Santorum in the polls in Tennessee in recent days, the former senator from Pennsylvania won in the Volunteer State and should take most of the 58 delegates that were on the line. With 91 percent of the votes counted, Santorum had 37 percent, followed by Romney with 28 percent and Gingrich with 24 percent. Paul trailed with 9 percent.
Moments after the polls closed in Oklahoma, Fox News called the Sooner State for Santorum. With 43 delegates on the line, Santorum should emerge with most of them. With 96 percent of votes counted, Santorum led with 34 percent, followed by Romney with 28 percent, Gingrich with 27 percent, Paul with 10 percent and Perry with 1 percent. Its a state the Republicans should expect to win in November. In the last six decades, Oklahoma went for the Democratic presidential candidate only once when it broke for Johnson in his 1964 landslide.
Santorum scored his third win of the night in the North Dakota caucus. With 99 percent of the votes counted, Santorum led with 40 percent, followed by Paul with 27 percent. Romney was running third with 24 percent while Gingrich lagged behind with 9 percent. There were 28 delegates at stake in North Dakota, one of the most reliable Republican states in presidential elections. Since FDR carried the state in 1936, only one Democratic candidate has carried North Dakota in presidential elections -- again, Johnson in 1964.
GINGRICH'S GEORGIA
The biggest prize on the table on Tuesday -- Georgia -- went to Gingrich, who represented parts of the state in Congress for two decades and will win most of the 76 delegates up for grabs there. The networks called the race for Gingrich, who led the polls in recent weeks, right after the polls closed at 7 p.m. With 95 percent of the votes counted, Gingrich --who took a bus tour of Georgia this past weekend --won the Peach State with 48 percent, followed by Romney with 26 percent, Santorum with 20 percent and Paul trailing with 7 percent.
SPEAKING TO SUPPORTERS
The four candidates spoke to supporters before polls closed in Idaho, North Dakota and Alaska and before Ohio was called. None of them showed signs of pulling out of the race.
In Boston, Romney told a cheering crowd, Im going to get this nomination, before taking aim at President Barack Obama. You have a president who has failed you ... President Obama said he would create jobs but for 36 straight months unemployment has been over 8 percent.
This was a big night, Santorum told followers in Ohio, noting he had scored wins in Tennessee and Oklahoma. Were ready to win across this country.
Santorum attempted to contrast himself with Romney, arguing that the former Massachusetts governors support of a state health-care law and mandates would undermine his chances in the general election.
Speaking to cheering supporters in Atlanta, Gingrich insisted he is still in the race despite attempts from the elite who were looking to drive him out. Wall Street money can be beaten by Main Street work, Gingrich told the crowd. Noting that a host of conservative candidates have risen and fallen in the race, Gingrich said he will still be a contender. There are a lot of bunny rabbits who run through the race and thats all right. Im the tortoise.
Gingrich said he would start on Wednesday campaigning in the states that are looming on the primary calendar. We are going on to Alabama, Gingrich said. Were going on to Mississippi. Were going on to Kansas.
Paul made an early appearance on Super Tuesday, speaking to supporters in North Dakota. The Texas congressman ripped into the two major parties in his speech in Fargo, and attacked the other candidates in the race. He also bashed his opponents on foreign and monetary policy.
If you look at the candidates today there is very little difference except for one, Paul insisted. The rest of the candidates support the status quo.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
