Rick Santorum emerged the convincing winner of the Louisiana Primary winning every parish (county) in Louisiana except Orleans Parish where New Orleans is located. Mitt Romney won that parish where he continues to demonstrate he can win in urban areas, but that not where the Republican base is located.
(Results updated) With 100% of the precincts reporting in we have:
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Rick Santorum – 49.0 % (91,305)
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Mitt Romney – 26.7% (49,749)
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Newt Gingrich – 15.9% (29,655)
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Ron Paul – 6.1% (11,460)
Rick Santorum in an email sent out to supporters tonight said:
Our campaign is making history. Tonight with our strong victory in Louisiana our campaign has now won 11 states tying a record and proving we can win in the West, South and Midwest. Not since Ronald Reagan in 1976 has a conservative candidate won as many states as we have. As Republican strategist Ralph Reed remarked recently, “It is an impressive feat.”
The reason why our campaign is winning in state after state is because people want an authentic, strong conservative leader to take on Barack Obama and not someone who just talks a good conservative game. Voters also know what I say now is the same thing I will say in the fall when we campaign against and defeat Barack Obama.
With our recent victories, the Romney campaign knows that a trusted conservative, who is uniting our Party will be tough to beat and they are determined to stop our history making run. His well-funded attack machine is readying new negative attacks and more outrageous lies about my record. We cannot let these attacks succeed.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of the Susan B. Anthony List said that tonight’s victory demonstrates that pro-life voters are key to winning:
Throughout these primaries pro-life voters have made up a sizable voting bloc, either delivering victory or near victory to Rick Santorum. This comes at a time when he is being greatly outspent and attacked by his opponents on all issues. The support Santorum enjoys from pro-life voters has given him a 4 to 10 percentage point advantage among all primary voters. This is a critical demographic—pro-life voters win elections on the margins.
Renewed calls from the Republican establishment to move social concerns to the sidelines deny the reality that American men and women, from every state, are looking for a consistent leader on these foundational issues. They’re going to need us to win in November.
Speaker Gingrich congratulated Santorum on his win, and then went on to attack President Barack Obama’s energy policies:
Rick Santorum deserves credit for coming in first in Louisiana. I am very grateful for the thousands of Louisianians who voted for me tonight; the theme of $2.50 per gallon of gasoline or less, and an American energy policy that ensures no American President will ever again bow to a Saudi king were clearly popular with the people in Louisiana. This is clearly still an open race. So, on behalf of the more than 176,000 Americans who have donated to Newt 2012, I will carry our solution oriented campaign to Tampa.
The next primaries are on April 3rd with the District of Columbia, Maryland and Wisconsin going to the polls. Romney leads in the latest poll done in March by Rasmussen leading by 13 points. In February Santorum led both polls taken by 16 points. This race is very fluid, and should be interesting to watch.
