Republican Presidential Candidate, McLean Resident Newt Gingrich Loses Two More Primaries

Republican presidential candidate and McLean neighbor Newt Gingrich lost two primaries in the Deep South Tuesday coming in second to winner Rick Santorum, a Great Falls resident and a former Pennsylvania senator.

“It’s quite an evening," Gingrich said as he spoke to supporters in Birmingham, Ala. "Obviously we wanted to come in first," he said.

 "I congratulate him (Rick Santorum) on a positive evening and a positive result.”

 Front runner Mitt Romney came in third in both the Alabama and Mississippi primaries. Gingrich said, “If you’re the front runner and you keep coming in third you are not much of a front runner.”

Gingrich has won only two primaries, South Carolina and Georgia, where he served as a congressman for 21 years.

In his Birmingham speech, he said he knew there would be calls for him to quit the race and that fund-raising would be more difficult.

He was right. The AP said, "But it was Gingrich with the most to lose as he struggled for political survival in a part of the country he hoped would fuel one more comeback in the unpredictable race to pick an opponent to President Barack Obama."

According to th New York Times, Bill Armistead, the chairman of Alabama Republican Party, expressed surprise that Mr. Gingrich did not do better in the state,. . . given how much time he spent campaigning here.

If Mr. Gingrich were to lose both Alabama and Mississippi, where Mr. Santorum holds a narrower edge at the moment, Mr. Armistead said he should withdraw.

"If you can't win your neighbors over, I don't know how you win others over," he said. "Alabama and Mississippi ought to be very friendly toward him," the Times reported.

But Neighbor Newt said he would continue in the race. He's off to Illinois primary March 20.

According to The New York Times here's the delegate count:

Primaries are really about delegates. 1,144 delegate votes are needed to win the nomination when the Republicans meet in Tampa for their convention. The numbers include delegates from Tuesday's primaries except for Hawaii.

472         Romney       

244         Santorum

177         Gingrich