With 40 delegates at stake, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the Republican caucuses in the state of Washington on Saturday, projected by CNN. This is the eighth win for the Republican presidential candidate in this election cycle. Romney had 37 percent, while Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum were tied for second with 24 percent. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich finished at 11 percent. When about half of the vote had been counted on Saturday, Paul said, “We’re in a good second place, but the good news is we’re doing very, very well in getting delegates. The enthusiasm for the cause of liberty continues to grow exponentially.”
Romney’s win in the Washington caucuses came three days before Super Tuesday, when 10 states will hold primaries and caucuses. Romney campaigned in one of Super Tuesday’s states, Cincinnati, Ohio, where he took aim at the Republicans main contender, President Barack Obama. To a cheering crowd, Romney said, “He’s out of ideas. He’s out of excuses. And in 2012, we’re going to make sure he’s out of a job.”
