• Expanded coverage: Campaign 2012
• Missouri results
• Colorado results
• Minnesota results
While Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney is perceived by pollsters and political pundits to be coasting toward the GOP nomination, tonight’s contests in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri are seen by the candidates trailing him as the opportunity to regain momentum and steal a bit of Romney’s thunder.
Romney trails Santorum by 2 percentage points in the latest Minnesota poll. Romney leads in Colorado, but Santorum still has a shot at winning there thanks to the state’s large evangelical voting bloc.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who won South Carolina’s primary but lost the last two contests in Florida and Nevada to Romney, faces steep challenges across all three states. Gingrich lacks the organizational muscle needed in caucus states like Colorado and Minnesota. In Missouri, which is holding a primary, Gingrich isn’t even on the ballot.
For Santorum and Paul, Tuesday’s contests are an opportunity to reinvigorate their campaigns.
