Romney wins N.H. primary; Paul in 2nd and Huntsman 3rd

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Republican front-runner Mitt Romney captured the nation's first primary election Tuesday, easily rebuffing aggressive attacks by a host of challengers.

"Thank you New Hampshire. Tonight we made history," Romney told well-wishers, flanked by wife Ann, the couple's five sons and extended family. "Tonight we celebrate, tomorrow we go back to work."
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Romney is the first Republican to sweep the first two contests in a competitive race since Iowa gained the lead-off spot in presidential campaigns in 1976. His win here sets the stage for a potentially bloody battle in the next GOP battleground state, South Carolina, which holds its primary Jan. 21.
With 92% of precincts reporting, the former Massachusetts governor had 39% of the vote, followed by Texas Rep. Ron Paul with 23% and former Utah governor Jon Huntsman with 17%. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich had nearly 10% of the vote, with former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum trailing with 9%. Texas Gov. Rick Perry lagged with less than 1%.

Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, here greeting voters outside the Webster School polling place in Manchester, N.H., took second in the primary.
The battle for second was won with surprising strength by the quirky populist Paul, whose small-government message resonated with enough voters to defeat a surging Huntsman and Santorum, the runner-up to Romney at last week's Iowa caucuses.
"I sort of have to chuckle when they describe you and me as being dangerous," a jubilant Paul told supporters here. "That's the one thing they are telling the truth. We are dangerous to the status quo of this country."

By Alex Wong, Getty Images
Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman greets voters at Ward 1 polling place Jan. 10 in Manchester, N.H.
Like Paul, Huntsman said he was setting his sights on winning the upcoming GOP primary in South Carolina. His finish here gives him "a ticket to ride," he said.
"As we look at the numbers now, we're in a strong, confident position — and all eyes are going to be south (on South Carolina) from here," Huntsman told CNN.

By T.J. Kirkpatrick, Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum makes the rounds on Radio Row during the nation's first primary on Jan. 10 in Manchester, N.H.
Despite their lagging results Tuesday, Santorum and Gingrich both told supporters that they would remain in the race. There are lots of contests still to come, Santorum told reporters earlier in Manchester. "There's going to be lots of opportunities to rise and fall," he said.
Santorum, who rocketed to prominence with a virtual tie with Romney in Iowa, said there wasn't time enough to capitalize on that momentum before New Hampshire's primary and that he would be content to pull a double-digit percentage of the votes.
Despite a relatively low unemployment rate of 5.2% — vs. the national unemployment rate of 8.5% — the economy was the top concern of New Hampshire voters, according to results of an exit poll conducted by Edison Research for the Associated Press and TV networks. Among them, 45% favored Romney. About one third of those polled said their main criterion in picking a candidate was finding one who can defeat President Obama in the 2012 Presidential election. The survey was conducted at 40 randomly selected sites here, and the preliminary results are based on interviews with 1,774 voters. The poll has a margin of error of +/-4 percentage points.
Romney's victory speech focused on Obama for his economic policies.
"The last three years have lot of change, but they haven't offered much hope," Romney said. "We know it must be better and it will be better. That conviction guides our campaign. Americans know that our future is brighter and better than these troubled times. The president has run out of ideas. Now he's running out of excuses."
Romney had spent the last two days explaining and defending an offhand comment that he liked "being able to fire people." That comment attracted fire from Huntsman and Perry, among others, who used that quote to reinforce a withering assault on Romney for his role in the private equity firm Bain Capital, which took over companies and sometimes laid off workers.
A former ambassador to China in the Obama administration, Huntsman spent the final 48 hours trying to capitalize on a notable debate exchange with Romney, who had criticized Huntsman for serving in Obama's administration. Huntsman countered that he had put his country ahead of partisan politics.
Perry had also criticized Romney over his role at Bain Capital, calling him a "vulture capitalist."
The anti-Romney sentiment didn't rock all Granite State voters.
Shannon Taber, 37, a bartender, voted for Romney because she said she's looking for "basically someone who can beat Obama."
She said she likes Romney's experience and the fact that polls show he's got support. As a Republican, she feels "it's time to band together and pick someone."
Kevin Langelier, 42, an unemployed accountant, said he liked Romney when he was governor of Massachusetts.
"He's got a successful career as a businessman and I think he can do a lot for the economy," Langelier said. "I think he can beat Obama. I don't think anyone else is electable."
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Contributing: David Jackson in Concord, N.H.; Catalina Camia in McLean, Va.; the Associated Press