Super Tuesday
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THE VOTERS SPEAK
“I think they are just a bunch of heads talking right now." - Marquitta Jackson, on the Republican candidates. The 57-year-old from Broken Arrow, Okla., voted for Obama. Her sister reminded her in a Facebook message that Democrats could vote today.
- Katie Fretland -
Voting in the primaries ends in the coming hours. Here are poll close times, all in EST.THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
— 7 p.m.: Georgia, Virginia and Vermont.
— 7:30 p.m.: Ohio.
— 8 p.m.: Massachusetts, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
Susan Rivero looks over a sample ballot before she and her husband Fred Rivero enter a precinct to vote in the GOP primary in Peachtree Corners, Ga. (AP Photo/John Amis) -
A CONFIDENT NEWT?
"For the third time, we're going to come bouncing back. With your help by the end of next week, we could really be in a totally new race." - Gingrich, predicting a third comeback to a crowd earlier Tuesday in Alabama.
Gingrich speaks at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) -
ECONOMY TRUMPS ALL
Early results from exit polls show the economy is Issue No. 1.
What are Republicans in today’s seven primary states seeking most in a candidate? Someone who can defeat President Barack Obama in November.
The seven states with primaries _ not caucuses _ represent a wide range of Republicans, from the most moderate in Vermont and Massachusetts to the most conservative and religious in Oklahoma and Tennessee.
Read more from our early exit polls here. Here's the methodology, too.
- Connie Cass
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A county Republican group in South Carolina is telling its candidates: No porn, no premarital sex and no cheating on your spouses. But the the state GOP says it would be illegal to keep candidates off the ballot only because they refuse to sign the pledge. Read the full story here.PURITY PLEDGE -
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How much money did Super PACs raise through January 2012? Find out in this in-depth interactive.SUPER PAC CONTRIBUTIONS -
They can't vote just yet. But children are getting a hands-on civics lesson at the polls on Super Tuesday.KIDS & POLITICS
Bradley Williams, 3, leans over to take a look as his dad, Doug, casts his vote during Super Tuesday at the Spalding Drive Elementary School in Sandy Springs, Ga., Tuesday, March 6, 2012. Republican Presidential candidate Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was favored to win in Georgia on Tuesday, but his rivals have spent time and resources in the state, hoping to grab a share of the state’s 76 delegates. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal & Constitution, Vino Wongby ccarlson on Mar 6, 2012 at 6:23 PM
Marc Lewis holds daughter Alexa, nine-months-old, as he votes at the Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church,Tuesday, March 6, 2012, in Cincinnati. Ohio is the biggest prize in political significance on Super Tuesday, the GOP presidential primary showdown across 10 states for more than 400 delegates. Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum have devoted much of their campaign attention to Ohio in recent days. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)by ccarlson on Mar 6, 2012 at 6:24 PM
Maria Johnson, with her four children in tow, casts her ballot for the Republican presidential primary, Tuesday, March 6, 2012, in Steubenville, Ohio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)by ccarlson on Mar 6, 2012 at 6:23 PM
Chapman Mathis, 3, waits for her "Gran", Aundria Clingan, to vote at the District 3 voting center at Burk's United Methodist Church in Hixson, Tenn., Tuesday afternoon, March 6, 2012. Workers at the voting center said there had been a steady amount of voters all day. (AP Photo/Chattanooga Times Free Press, Ashlee Culverhouse)by ccarlson on Mar 6, 2012 at 6:25 PM
Voters cast their ballots in the Republican presidential primary, as children make their way through the hall of an elementary school, on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, in Johns Creek, Ga. (AP Photo/John Amis)by ccarlson on Mar 6, 2012 at 6:25 PMPreviousNext1 of 5
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ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, CAUCUS
Caucuses are getting underway in a number of states tonight. Here's a look. All times EST:
— 8 p.m.: Alaska.
— 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: North Dakota.
— 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.: Idaho.
— 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.: Wyoming. Caucuses also will be held in some counties on Thursday and Saturday.
Campaign staffers for Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, tape signs together before the North Dakota caucus, in Fargo, N.D.(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) -
ANGRY IN OHIO
Early exit poll results from Ohio provide plenty of fodder for Republicans hoping to take back the White House from Barack Obama.
In Ohio, a pivotal state for the general election, nearly 8 in 10 GOP primary voters express unhappiness with the government. Four in 10 say they’re angry about it.
And practically all express worry about the economy.
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HURRY UP AND WAIT - FOR DELEGATE COUNT
Even after tonight’s races have been called, it will take a while to sort out how many delegates each candidate has won.
That’s because most states base delegates on a candidate’s share of the statewide vote. And complicating things more, most delegates are based on vote totals in individual congressional districts. Those results often lag far behind statewide totals.
In states with counties that are split into multiple congressional districts, it could take days to assign votes to the proper district.
-Stephen Ohlemacher
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BIG NEWS FOR GINGRICH
He’s won on his home field of Georgia, the state he represented in Congress for two decades. Even Gingrich admitted that winning Georgia was vital to keeping his presidential bid alive. Gingrich hopes this is the start of a string of Southern successes that could revive his campaign.
He’s already started stumping in Alabama, which votes next week.
- Connie Cass
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Gingrich's victory in his home state of Georgia gives him at least 23 delegates. The state has a total of 76 delegates and Gingrich is likely to pick up more as the votes are tallied. Here's more on the delegate counts.GINGRICH'S GEORGIA TAKE: At least 23 delegates -
Our exit polls of voters in Georgia's Republican presidential primary shows Gingrich's ties helped boost his showing, but not all voters were swayed. The former House Speaker was winning around three-fourths of the votes of Georgia Republicans. But 6 in 10 voters said in AP exit polls that his ties mattered little to them.GINGRICH ON THEIR MINDS
- Alan Fram and Jennifer Agiesta -
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ROMNEY WINS VIRGINIA
Romney has scored his first Super Tuesday win in Virginia. The race will pay off in delegates but doesn’t say a lot about Romney’s chances elsewhere. His only Virginia opponent was unconventional Republican Ron Paul. They were the only two with campaigns organized enough to meet the state’s tough ballot requirements.
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ROMNEY SLIDESHOW
AP photographer Gerald Herbert captured these images of Romney on his bus and voting in Massachusetts. Romney won the primary in Virginia, according to exit polls.
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and his wife Ann, talk to reporters on his campaign plane before taking off for Boston, in Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday, March 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)by ccarlson on Mar 6, 2012 at 7:24 PM
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney casts his ballot in Massachusetts primary at the Beech Street Senior Center in Belmont, Mass., Tuesday, March 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)by ccarlson on Mar 6, 2012 at 7:24 PM
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and his wife Ann, leave after voting in the Massachusetts primary at the Beech Street Senior Center in Belmont, Mass., Tuesday, March 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)by ccarlson on Mar 6, 2012 at 7:25 PM
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney talks to reporters with his wife Ann as people watch after voting in the Massachusetts primary at the Beech Street Senior Center in Belmont, Mass., Tuesday, March 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)by ccarlson on Mar 6, 2012 at 7:25 PMPreviousNext1 of 4
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Supporters and the media are waiting for Romney at the Westin Coply Hotel in Boston. Word just came in of his win in Virginia, AP reporter Ted Shaffrey reports. He says a band is playing "Moves Like Jagger" and the room is boisterous and optimistic.WAITING FOR ROMNEY: A bustling room
A band sets up at Romney's watch party in Boston. By Ted Shaffrey.by tshaffrey on Mar 6, 2012 at 6:48 PM via email -
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ROMNEY GRABS 2 WINS ... AS EXPECTED
Mitt Romney has won his first two Super Tuesday states - but that isn’t stirring much excitement. He was considered a shoo-in in Vermont, a neighbor to Massachusetts, the state where Romney was governor. And thanks to Virginia’s tough ballot rules, his only competition there was from libertarian-leaning candidate Ron Paul.
-Connie Cass
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Romney's Virginia win gives him at least 34 more delegates. That gives him an early lead in the race for delegates from the Super Tuesday contests. It takes 1,144 to win the GOP nomination for president. Romney now leads with 237.ROMNEY'S VIRGINIA TAKE: At least 34 delegates
- Stephen Ohlemacher -
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All that glitters turned to election gold for Newt Gingrich in Georgia. Here, some of his supporters wait for Gingrich to emerge after exit polls projected his win.SPARKLY PATRIOTISM
A group of patriotic ladies wait for Newt Gingrich. (AP Photo/Robert Ray)by rray on Mar 6, 2012 at 7:27 PM via email -
THE WORD IN OHIO
Early exit poll results from Ohio show Santorum and Romney running about even among Ohioans who lack college degrees. Santorum’s been targeting those blue collar voters.
Santorum is winning strong support, however, from another group he looks to as a source of strength - the state’s most conservative voters, especially those focused on issues like abortion.
- Alan Fram and Jennifer Agiesta
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President Barack Obama is having a fundraiser dinner tonight with about 20 supporters. The price per ticket? $35,800. Proceeds from the dinner at the Jefferson Hotel in Washington go to a joint fundraising committee authorized by the Democratic National Committee and Obama's campaign. The media is not allowed at the event.OBAMA'S DINNER PLANS? GET OUT YOUR CHECKBOOK -
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Enjoying a drink at Romney's event at the Westin Copley Hotel in Boston tonight won't come cheap. Mixed drinks are $11, wine is $10 and beer is $9, notes AP's Ted Shaffrey.CELEBRATE WITH ROMNEY, AND PAY
The bar at Romney's event. By Ted Shaffrey.by tshaffrey on Mar 6, 2012 at 7:59 PM via email -
NO MORE GUARANTEES FOR ROMNEY
Romney has just bagged the last of three states he could safely count on winning tonight. As the state's former governor, his victory in Massachusetts was considered a foregone conclusion. Now it gets interesting, as we wait for results in the big battlegrounds of Tennessee, Oklahoma and especially Ohio.
-Connie Cass
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NO WINS YET, PAUL REMAINS DEFIANT
Ron Paul hasn't won yet tonight but he's not letting that get him down. The libertarian-leaning GOP candidate tells voters in Nampa, Idaho, that his campaign is sending a warning to the country that government spends too much money. He continued calling for ending the Federal Reserve.
- Rebecca Boone
Paul address supporters in Nampa, Idaho. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune, Charlie Litchfield) -
AP national political reporter Charles Babington explains that tonight's election results will likely determine how quickly Mitt Romney will win the nomination, which many Republican insiders consider inevitable.ANALYSIS: WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?by ccarlson on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:04 PM -
Mitt Romney has rolled up primary victories in Virginia, Vermont and his home-state Massachusetts as he reaches for a decisive advantage in the most turbulent Republican nomination race in a generation.SO FAR, SO GOOD FOR ROMNEY AND GINGRICHFormer House Speaker Newt Gingrich countered with a badly needed home-field win in Georgia, his home state.
Romney is dueling Rick Santorum in Ohio, the marquee matchup of the busiest night of the race.
The fourth contender, Ron Paul, is seeking success in caucus states. Contests stretch across the country tonight, with more than 400 Republican National Convention delegates at stake. Read more.
-David Espo
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A crowd of supporters has gathered in Boston to celebrate Mitt Romney's primary win in Massachusetts, according to exit polls.THE SCENE IN MASSACHUSETTS
The room is getting crowded. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)by tshaffrey on Mar 6, 2012 at 7:56 PM via email
Toasting a Romney win in Virginia. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)by tshaffrey on Mar 6, 2012 at 7:56 PM via email
Security is tight. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)by tshaffrey on Mar 6, 2012 at 7:57 PM via email
T-shirt stand like at a sports stadium selling Romney gear. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)by tshaffrey on Mar 6, 2012 at 7:58 PM via emailPreviousNext1 of 4
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Here's how the delegate count is shaping up after several states have been called:SUPER TUESDAY: DELEGATE COUNT
- Romney adds at least 64 delegates and leads with 267.
- Gingrich wins at least 23 delegates and now has 56.
- Santorum has no wins yet and remains at 92.
- Paul has no wins yet and stays at 25.
Follow here for the latest in the race to 1,144 delegates.
- Stephen Ohlemacher -
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"If Romney is knocked out of the box, then the battle is going to be between Santorum and Gingrich, and that's the way I'm hoping it will be. If Romney becomes the choice of the Republican Party, naturally I'll vote for Romney because another four years of Obama - forget about it."THE VOTERS SPEAK: Another four years of Obama? Forget about it
-Eric Miller, of Cheyenne, Wyo., who was decked out in brown cowboy hat, western dress jacket, black boots and bolo tie at the Laramie County GOP caucus in Cheyenne.
-By Bob Moen -
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