LIVE FLORIDA ELECTION RESULTS, CONSTANTLY UPDATED: Romney Wins In Landslide
Jan 31, 2012 42 Comments ›› Pat Dollard
Mitt Romney defeated Newt Gingrich in the Florida Republican presidential primary Tuesday night, Fox News projects, surging from a second-place finish in South Carolina to sweep the winner-take-all contest and reassert his frontrunner status.
The victory, in the biggest GOP contest to date, is likely to give the former Massachusetts governor a burst of momentum as he, Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul head west to battle in what has become an increasingly negative race.
At his victory speech in Tampa, the site of the Republican National Convention, Romney glided over his opponents and focused his remarks almost exclusively on President Obama.
“I stand ready to lead this party and to lead our nation,” Romney said. “My leadership will end the Obama era and begin a new era of American prosperity.”
But the former House speaker is vowing a drawn-out battle for delegates as the Republican race turns next to Nevada, and then a batch of primaries in western and Midwestern states.
With 74 percent of precincts reporting, Romney is leading with 47 percent. Gingrich has 32 percent, followed by Rick Santorum with 13 percent and Ron Paul with 7 percent. Fox News projects Gingrich will finish second, followed by Santorum in third and Paul in last place.
Romney is projected to win all 50 of Florida’s convention delegates.
UPDATED – UPDATED – With 50% of districts reporting: Romney 47%, Gingrich 31%, Santorum 14% and “Crazy Uncle” Paul at 7%. DEVELOPING..
*Updated* Foxnews.com:
Mitt Romney has won the Florida Republican presidential primary, Fox News projects.
The victory, in the GOP contest’s biggest state to date, is likely to give the former Massachusetts governor a burst of momentum as he and Newt Gingrich battle for the lead in what has become an increasingly negative race.
With 51 percent of precincts reporting, Romney is leading with 48 percent. Gingrich has 31 percent, followed by Rick Santorum with 13 percent and Ron Paul with 7 percent.
Romney is expected to win all 50 of Florida’s convention delegates.
Fox News also projects that Gingrich will finish second, followed by Rick Santorum in third and Ron Paul in last place.
The results mark a serious setback for the former House speaker, who trounced Romney just 10 days ago in South Carolina and was leading Romney in Florida polls as recently as last week.
With his Florida win, Romney is the only Republican candidate to have won two primaries. In a historical anomaly, the first three contests went to three different winners.
But the former House speaker is vowing a drawn-out battle for delegates as the Republican race heads next to Nevada, and then a batch of primaries in western and Midwestern states.
Asked Tuesday how close the race was to being over, Gingrich said, “I would probably say six months. I would say June or July, unless Romney drops out.”
Gingrich has held a narrow lead in most recent national polls.
But Romney began to edge him out in Florida over the past week, despite Gingrich’s come-from-behind victory in South Carolina on Jan. 21.
Gingrich, after dominating the debates in the run up to South Carolina, was more subdued on stage ahead of Florida — while Romney aggressively challenged Gingrich’s attacks on his personal wealth and his immigration position. Both campaigns, and the groups that support them, were on air with scorching attack ads in the Sunshine State.
Florida’s primary is the most valuable so far in pure numbers.
In a positive sign for Gingrich, exit polls showed evangelical voters trending for the former House speaker. The exit polls showed Gingrich with 40 percent among that group, and Romney with 36 percent.
But the margin was wider for Romney among seniors and Hispanics. Half of the seniors polled were supporting Romney, while 35 percent backed Gingrich. Santorum and Paul polled in single digits among seniors.
Romney also led Gingrich 56-29 percent among Hispanic voters, the largest minority in the state, exit polling showed.
Voters overwhelmingly went for Romney among those who said winning in November is the most important quality in a Republican nominee. But for voters who valued “true conservative” credentials as their top quality, Gingrich led with 46 percent, followed by Santorum at 26 percent and Paul at 16 percent. Among those voters, Romney was last with 11 percent.
