Maine win boosts Romney's presidential campaign hopes
Source: Agencies |
February 13, 2012, Monday
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MITT Romney eked out a narrow win in Maine's Republican caucuses, US state party officials announced, providing his campaign for the party's presidential nomination a much-needed boost after three straight losses earlier last week.
But the former Massachusetts governor's margin of victory over Texas Representative Ron Paul on Saturday was so slim it all but guaranteed scrutiny of the party's decision not to count the results of caucuses scheduled later in February.
The Maine victory comes at a critical time in Romney's quest to become the Republican nominee who will take on President Barack Obama in the November election.
Romney is working to gain trust from the conservative activists who make up the Republican base and who drive the party's state-by-state nominating contest. They view him skeptically because of his past shifts on a variety of issues, including his previous support for abortion rights.
Romney's victory in Maine came just hours after he won the presidential straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Committee Conference in Washington. He was supported as the Republican presidential nominee by 38 percent of the 3,408 respondents, edging out Rick Santorum with 31 percent. Nwet Gingrich was backed by 15 percent, and Paul had 12 percent.
These results helped slow a skid that began earlier this week when Santorum, who has strong support from social conservatives, won contests in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado. Romney had ignored Santorum before these contests.
Romney attended a fundraiser in California late Saturday, after campaigning in Maine earlier in the day, visiting caucus sites where he pressed voters for their support.
"I thank the voters of Maine for their support," Romney said in a statement late Saturday. "I'm committed to turning around America. And I'm heartened to have the support of so many good people in this great state."
At the Washington conference of conservative activists, Romney delivered a high-profile address on Friday in which he described himself as "a severely conservative Republican governor."
But the former Massachusetts governor's margin of victory over Texas Representative Ron Paul on Saturday was so slim it all but guaranteed scrutiny of the party's decision not to count the results of caucuses scheduled later in February.
The Maine victory comes at a critical time in Romney's quest to become the Republican nominee who will take on President Barack Obama in the November election.
Romney is working to gain trust from the conservative activists who make up the Republican base and who drive the party's state-by-state nominating contest. They view him skeptically because of his past shifts on a variety of issues, including his previous support for abortion rights.
Romney's victory in Maine came just hours after he won the presidential straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Committee Conference in Washington. He was supported as the Republican presidential nominee by 38 percent of the 3,408 respondents, edging out Rick Santorum with 31 percent. Nwet Gingrich was backed by 15 percent, and Paul had 12 percent.
These results helped slow a skid that began earlier this week when Santorum, who has strong support from social conservatives, won contests in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado. Romney had ignored Santorum before these contests.
Romney attended a fundraiser in California late Saturday, after campaigning in Maine earlier in the day, visiting caucus sites where he pressed voters for their support.
"I thank the voters of Maine for their support," Romney said in a statement late Saturday. "I'm committed to turning around America. And I'm heartened to have the support of so many good people in this great state."
At the Washington conference of conservative activists, Romney delivered a high-profile address on Friday in which he described himself as "a severely conservative Republican governor."
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