According to the Associated Press, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum easily won Missouri’s nonbinding Republican presidential primary Tuesday, claiming momentum in his challenge against national front-runner Mitt Romney even though the victory won’t earn him any delegates.
Santorum was the only Republican candidate to campaign for Missouri’s primary, which he hoped could give him a boost heading into a big round of state primaries in early March. Although contests also were held Tuesday in Minnesota and Colorado, Santorum chose Missouri’s Republican-leaning St. Charles County to celebrate a victory that he said could be heard around the country.
The state Republican Central Committee chose to award Missouri’s delegates to the Republican National Convention using a caucus system that will begin in mid-March.
The primary results will be used to allot delegates for Missouri Democrats, who handed an easy victory Tuesday to Obama.
Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, and Texas Rep. Ron Paul were the only other prominent — and still active — candidates listed on Missouri’s Republican primary ballot. Newt Gingrich did not pay the $1,000 filing fee to appear in the primary, explaining that the vote didn’t count for any delegates.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.