Triple win for Santorum
February 8, 2012
US Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum made a clean sweep in Tuesday's three state primaries and caucuses, reigniting his campaign for the party's nomination.
Santorum had about 55 percent of the vote in Missouri while Mitt Romney - who won three of the first five nominating contests - came in second with 25 percent. Libertarian Ron Paul trailed with 12 percent, while former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was not on the ballot there.
Santorum, seen as the favorite for evangelical Christians and social conservatives, also led voting in Minnesota with 45 percent, followed by Paul with 27 percent, Romney with 17 percent and Gingrich with 11 percent.
"Conservatism is alive and well in Missouri and Minnesota," Santorum declared to jubilant supporters in St. Charles, Missouri. He challenged Romney's conservative credentials, saying on issues of health care and "Wall Street bailouts, Mitt Romney has the same positions as Barack Obama."
Election officials in the mountainous state of Colorado were the last to declare Santorum the official winner. The three-way victory could force a reshuffle in the Republican presidential pecking order to challenge Newt Gingrich for the mantle of main rival to Romney, the party establishment's favorite.
The state-by-state battle for the Republican nomination enters a lull after the three state races, leading up to "Super Tuesday" on March 6, when voters cast their ballots in 11 states. The nomination winner faces President Barack Obama in the November 6 general election.
acb/dfm/ai (Reuters, AFP, AP)