Former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Rick Santorum is leading the election results in the state of Minnesota, the latest state to swing in favor of the Pennsylvania Republican.
Mr. Santorum leads the field with less than 20 percent of precincts reporting. The Pennsylvania Republican leads with 43 percent of the vote, while Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul is in second place with 28 percent. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is in third place with 17 percent. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has just 12 percent, placing him in last place.
The latest election results comes as Mr. Santorum captured victory in the state of Missouri earlier in the night. The Pennsylvania Republican has struggled to maintain momentum outside of the state of Iowa, where he won the Iowa caucus.
The Minnesota election results are likely to be a major boost for Mr. Paul’s campaign, which has struggled to have a strong showing since the 2012 election began. Both Mr. Santorum and Mr. Paul campaign heavily in the state in the lead up to the election, meeting with state leaders and supporters in an effort to halt Mr. Romney’s trek towards the Republican nomination.
The victory gives new hope to Mr. Santorum, a staunch social and religious conservative, and new momentum in his battle with former U.S. House of Representatives speaker Newt Gingrich to be viewed as the top conservative alternative to the more moderate former Massachusetts governor. Mr. Santorum, who raised $1 million in the day following the Iowa caucus, is likely to find a number of donors willing to open their wallets following a string of wins on Tuesday.
