Mitt Romney narrowly defeated Ron Paul to win the Maine caucuses on Thursday night, state officials announced at a news conference broadcast on CNN.
The caucuses are non-binding and no actual delegates were awarded, but Romney was expected to do well there because it’s in New England, which has been home for much of his adult life. Some thought Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tex., had a shot to win given the low turnout nature of the event, which tends to favor campaigns with an energized fan base.
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In the end, Romney won with 39 percent and 2190 votes, with Paul close behind at 36 percent and 1996 votes. Rick Santorum came in third with 18 percent and 989 votes, while Gingrich brought up the rear with 349 votes and 6 percent.
The results allow Romney to avoid the major embarassment had he lost a state in his own backyard, but the small margin will leave lingering questions about the strength of his campaign. In 2008, Romeny won the caucuses with 52 percent and 2,837 votes with roughly the same turnout.
