Mitt Romney wins in Illinois, ready for Louisiana

The conservatives of Illinois stood by the team of Mitt Romney on Tuesday evening, gaining Romney yet another primary win in the race to the Republican presidential nomination. The former Massachusetts Governor has now set his aims on the bayou in Louisiana, where the next Republican primary will be held. In the midst of a crowd of supporters in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Romney said, “We thank the people of Illinois for this extraordinary victory. Elections are about choices. Today, hundreds of thousands of people in Illinois joined millions of people in this country in this cause.”

With 99 percent of the precincts reporting, Romney received 47 percent of the votes, Rick Santorum received 35 percent, Ron Paul 9 percent, and Newt Gingrich 8 percent. With 54 delegates at stake in Illinois, CNN’s estimate reports Romney is positioned to win at least 41 of those delegates, giving him a total of 562. Santorum is in second with 249 delegates, Gingrich 137, and Paul 69. To win the GOP nomination, the candidate will need 1,144 delegates. The Louisiana primary will be held on Saturday.