PHOENIX — Mitt Romney notched a comfortable win in Arizona’s Republican presidential primary Tuesday, a much-needed victory in a Western swing state as he heads into next week’s 10-state Super Tuesday contests.
The Associated Press and television networks, relying on exit polls, called the Arizona race for Romney minutes after the voting ended, affirming early expectations that the former Massachusetts governor would carry a state in which the Republican establishment lined up behind him.
The exit polls revealed that Arizona voters were primarily motivated by economic concerns and the ability of their nominee to beat President Obama in the fall, areas in which Romney consistently bested his rivals. Voters were less focused on the social issues that helped fuel the recent surge by former Sen. Rick Santorum, the polls showed.
