Here are ten things you need to know today.
- Santorum takes Mississippi and Alabama: Rick Santorum won both big ticket states in last night’s primaries. He won Mississippi with about 33% of the vote, to Gingrich’s 31% and Romney’s 30%. In Alabama, Santorum took 34.5%. Gingrich barely beat Romney, both taking around 29% of the vote.
- Romney wins Hawaii Caucuses: Romney had a rough night in the South, but he did win the Hawaii caucuses handily with 45% of the vote. Santorum pulled about 25%, Ron Paul was on the map with 18%, and Gingrich in last place with 11%. Romney also won the caucus in American Samoa, picking up all nine of their delegates.
- Santorum up in Pennsylvania: A new Quinnipiac poll of Rick Santorum’s home state has the former Senator way up in his home state, with 36% – 22% over Mitt Romney. In a head to head match-up, Santorum bests the former governor by 20 points, 36 – 22. Obama leads all Republicans in head-to-head match-ups, although he beats Santorum by just one point. The Pennsylvania primary is April 24.
- Romney lost in the South but finished night with bigger delegate lead: Mitt Romney’s inevitability narrative took a hit Tuesday when he lost two big primaries in the South. But thanks to tight races there, as well as big wins in Hawaii and American Samoa, Romney almost certainly won the most delegates Tuesday night. And as the narrative is increasingly about math, the Romney camp will certainly highlight that fact going forward.
- Obama camp fundraises as underdog: In an email to Obama supporters Tuesday, Obama campaign manager Jim Messina warned that “If the general election were held today, President Obama would lose to Mitt Romney,” according to a new poll. In order to keep bringing in money, donors have to feel like this is a tight race, Messina suggested. Romney, he warned, “has shown he will spend and say anything to win.”
- Gingrich shows no signs of dropping out: After coming in second in what were formerly must-win states for Gingrich, Newt said Tuesday night that he will amass a good number of delegates Tuesday in his road toward Tampa. He also called for a brokered convention to vote out Romney — something Santorum wants too.
- Retiring Senator returns money to DSCC: Outgoing Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska reimbursed the DSCC for $500,000 of the $1.5 million they spent on Nelson in 2011 on a set of controversial ads. Nelson said more reimbursements may be on the way.
- Romney takes a break from the trail: Mitt Romney looks to be off the campaign trail today. After spending last night in New York, he will hold a fundraiser there Wednesday evening at the Waldorf Astoria hotel.
- Santorum to San Juan: Rick Santorum will hold two campaign events today in Puerto Rico. The Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño already endorsed Mitt Romney. The Puerto Rico caucuses are March 18.
- Gingrich heads to Illinois: As promised, Newt Gingrich will fight on. He’ll hold two events in Illinois today ahead of their primary next Tuesday.
