Santorum Wins Kansas Caucuses, CNN Projects
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, whose top two foes essentially conceded the state, will win Saturday’s GOP Kansas caucuses, CNN projects.
“We are very pleased to see the Santorum surge sweeping through the Jayhawk State,” Santorum spokesperson Hogan Gidley said. “This is a great win for the campaign and further evidence that conservatives and tea party loyalists are uniting behind Rick as the true, consistent conservative in this race.”
Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich abandoned plans to campaign in the state and instead focused on Tuesday primaries in Mississippi and Alabama. Texas Rep. Ron Paul campaigned in Kansas on Friday and Saturday.
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Kansas is home to many social conservatives who mesh ideologically with Santorum’s anti-abortion, anti-same-sex marriage, pro-family, pro-religious-freedom stances. Those positions helped Santorum barrel to primary victory in the neighboring states of Oklahoma in this week’s Super Tuesday contests, and in Missouri on February 7.
With 99% of the Kansas vote tallied, Santorum had 52%. Romney, 21%, and Gingrich, 14%, were in a close race for second. Paul had 13% of the vote.
Because the 40 delegates at stake in Kansas’ caucuses will be awarded in proportion to the results, they will be split up among the other candidates — even those who did not campaign here.
Because of that, Romney’s campaign sees political fortune despite skipping the contest.
“We hope to continue to pick up delegates in the upcoming contests in Kansas, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands,” Romney spokesman Ryan Williams said. “After winning a majority of Super Tuesday states, Governor Romney has built a commanding lead in the race for delegates that will make it nearly impossible for any of our opponents to win the Republican nomination.”
Romney won the Northern Mariana Islands caucuses early Saturday, picking up nine delegates. He garnered 87% of the vote.
The U.S. Virgin Islands caucuses also were Saturday.
Late Friday, Romney won Guam’s nine delegates in its caucuses there.