Feb. 11, 2012: Mitt Romney greets supporters at a caucus in Portland, Maine.
Mitt Romney captured two prizes in the Republican presidential race Saturday, edging out Ron Paul in the Maine caucuses while beating Rick Santorum in a key straw poll.
These small but well-timed victories help him regain momentum with a slew of major contests approaching.
The 2012 GOP candidates have few opportunities left to make a splash on the campaign trail before Super Tuesday, a set of 10 elections on March 6 where hundreds of delegates are at stake.
Romney was in a perilous position this week, after Santorum went three-for-three in contests held Tuesday and then started to surge in national polls.
Romney’s Maine victory doesn’t necessarily undercut Santorum’s achievements, as Santorum, along with Newt Gingrich, barely competed in Maine. But it further builds Romney’s delegate lead and helps cushion the blow of his losses earlier in the week.
