Clean Sweep: Romney Wins Wisconsin, DC, Maryland

Another big night for Mitt Romney: He won the night's primaries in Wisconsin, Maryland, and Washington, DC, reports CNN and AP, a trifecta that should push him past the halfway point in the race for the magic number of 1,144 delegates. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul finished well back in the two states, though Paul might pick up a second-place finish in DC, where Santorum was not on the ballot.

• Santorum speech: Addressing supporters in his home state, he made clear he's sticking around. "Who's ready to charge out of the locker room in Pennsylvania for a strong second half?" The state's primary is April 24.
• Romney speech: Rick who? He focused mostly on President Obama and the general election, notes Politico. “We have a sacred duty to restore the promise of America. And we will do it. We will do it because we believe in America. Tonight, I’m asking the good people of Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island to join me.” (Earlier, President Obama called out Romney by name for the first time.)
• Exit polls: Eight in 10 Wisconsin voters think Romney will be the nominee, reports AP. That includes about two-thirds of Santorum's supporters, notes the New York Times. Four in 10 thought the most important attribute in the nominee is the ability to defeat President Obama, and an equal number said it was being a true conservative. Voters in both Maryland and Wisconsin cited the economy as the top issue.

(More Mitt Romney 2012 stories.)