Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney grabbed first place in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday night, his second victory after narrowly securing Iowa by eight votes exactly a week earlier. (Full results)
“Tonight we celebrate,” Romney said in a victory speech you can watch above. “Tomorrow, we go to work.”
Romney is scheduled to hit the campaign trail in South Carolina Wednesday, where he’s expected to face a considerably more difficult contest ahead of that state’s primary on Saturday, January 21.
Texas Governor Rick Perry scarcely registered one-percent of the vote in New Hampshire. He skipped the Granite State to focus on South Carolina, hoping his socially conservative religious beliefs, his pro-military rhetoric, and the story of Texas economic success will trump Republican skepticism over his ability to win a general election.
“Tonight's results in New Hampshire show the race for 'conservative alternative' to Mitt Romney remains wide open,” Perry said in a campaign email Tuesday night. “I skipped New Hampshire and aimed my campaign right at conservative South Carolina, where we've been campaigning hard and receiving an enthusiastic welcome.”
The other Texan in the race, Congressman Ron Paul, met expectations with a solid second place finish in New Hampshire. The Texas Tribune’s Thanh Tan reports that Paul’s runner-up status will provide solid momentum as he pushes forward to South Carolina.
You can watch Paul’s victory speech here, and check all the other victory speeches at PBS Newshour’s YouTube page.
