Romney Wins New Hampshire Primary Election

Republican front-runner Mitt Romney captured United States'' first primary election with Ron Paul second and Jon Huntsman third, according to partial results. Romney is the first Republican to sweep the first two contests in a competitive race since Iowa gained the lead-off spot in presidential campaigns in 1976.
His win here sets the stage for a potentially bloody battle in the next GOP battleground state, South Carolina, which holds its primary January 21. With 89% of precincts reporting, the former Massachusetts governor had 39% of the vote, followed by Texas Rep. Ron Paul with 23% and former Utah governor Jon Huntsman with 17%. 

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich had nearly 10% of the vote, with former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum trailing with 9%. Texas Gov. Rick Perry lagged with less than 1%. Rep. Ron Paul here greeting voters outside the Webster School polling place in Manchester, N.H., took second in the primary.

The battle for second was won with surprising strength by the quirky populist Paul, whose small-government message resonated with enough voters to defeat a surging Huntsman and Santorum, the runner-up to Romney at last week''s Iowa caucuses.
 

Source: BNA